Kalyan: The long-awaited work of clearing water hyacinth from the Ulhas River in the Mohane area has finally commenced, with the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) deploying machinery to tackle the issue.

The invasive growth of water hyacinth had been choking the river’s course and polluting the ecosystem. In response, former corporator Nitin Nikam, representing the ‘Mi Kalyankar’ organisation, had staged a 10-day protest in the river basin demanding immediate action.

Following the protest, the state government assured prompt intervention. Under the MPCB’s direction, the removal process has officially begun. Work started on Friday morning with one trash skimmer machine already operational, and officials confirmed that two machines have been brought in to expedite the effort.

MPCB officials stated that these machines will rigorously clear the hyacinth. The first trash skimmer has already begun operations to extract the water hyacinth from the riverbed.

However, Nikam said that the root of the problem lies in the continuous discharge of untreated sewage into the river. He emphasised that merely removing the hyacinth would not suffice unless the sewage flow is stopped.

As a temporary solution, environmentalists have suggested laying pipelines along the riverbank to divert sewage beyond the dam into the creek. This proposal is currently under consideration, with the Urban Development Secretary instructing a review of its feasibility.

A contractor has been appointed to carry out the weed removal, and MPCB officials assured that the river basin will be cleared of water hyacinth in the coming days.