by Regerai Tututuku
The water hyacinth weed is threatening both aquatic and human life in the largest inland dam Lake Mutirikwi. Over 30 percent of the lake is submerged by the plant.
The dam is currently less than 30 percent full. If unchecked the weed could choke the entire water body, environmentalists have warned. Environmentalist Casper Murombe said there was need for urgent measures to stop the spread of the weed in order to save both aquatic and human life since people also need drinking water from the dam. The weed soaks up oxygen and prevents direct sunlight getting to the water.
“We are warning authorities that they should take urgent action to prevent the spread of the weed because if this remains unchecked in less than two years the whole water body would be submerged by the weed,” he said.
The dam supplies water to the entire city and is used to irrigate sugar cane. The mayor Hubert Fidze expressed concern over the spread of the weed. “We are hopeful that the responsible authorities would act before the situation gets out of hand,” he said.
But a Zimbabwe National Water Authority official in Masvingo said they did not have funds to fight the spreading weed.
“We are trying as an organisation to come up with a legal instrument which will force local authorities to avail funds to fight such weeds because most local authorities are responsible for its spread by not stamping out pollution of rivers and water bodies,” he said.