Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has removed nearly 80,000 tonnes of water hyacinth from Ambazari Lake as part of an ongoing drive to clear the city’s iconic waterbody of the invasive weed.Municipal commissioner Vipin Itankar inspected the lake on Friday and directed officials to speed up the operation by deploying additional machinery on both sides.The campaign was launched following directions from Mayor Neeta Thakre, with civic authorities identifying water hyacinth as a major threat to the lake’s ecosystem. Officials said the NMC is removing around 400 tonnes of the weed daily using poclain machines and weed harvesters.The operation is being carried out on a war footing ahead of the monsoon. Earlier, Itankar had expressed concern that the dense growth of water hyacinth could obstruct the flow of water and increase the risk of flooding.During the inspection, Itankar instructed engineers to concentrate on stretches where the infestation remains severe and sought regular updates.Additional commissioner Ankit, superintending engineer Shweta Banerjee, deputy commissioner Rajesh Bhagat, executive engineer Ujjwal Lanjewar, chief sanitation officer Dr Gajendra Mahalle, and zone sanitation officer Lokesh Basanwar were present.The civic administration expects the large-scale removal drive to improve water flow and support restoration of the lake’s ecological health before the onset of heavy rains.
