Sunday | 12 January 2025 | Reg No- 06
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Sunday | 12 January 2025 | Epaper

200 families make livelihood from water hyacinth at Kotalipara 

Published : Saturday, 14 December, 2024 at 12:00 AM  Count : 272
Our Correspondent
KOTALIPARA, GOPALGANJ, Dec 13: Water hyacinth is an economic creeper plant as a whole. It is fully environment-friendly. In different cubic volumes, it absorbs harmful metals, such as chromium, nickel, cobalt and cadmium. But it is unknown to many.

At present, the water hyacinth is being used as raw materials for producing different export items. It is also exported to different countries of the world as raw materials.  

Attractive flower baskets, coloured Papos, different vases and mats are manufactured by water hyacinth.   Besides, bags, caps and Zaynamaz are made with it. 

These articles are mostly environment-friendly. As plastic alternatives, these hold exporting demands abroad.

So far, the water hyacinth-based works have provided employments to about 200 families in the upazila.

Usually, a stem of the water hyacinth is 15-20 centimetre. Each stem carries eye-catching 9-10 flowers having six petals each.  
It has seven species across the world including Brazilian species in Bangladesh.  It produces seeds in huge number. Even after 25-30 years, it can sprout. Its growth is very rapid. In about two weeks, it can gain double growth. 

There are miles after miles of water hyacinth habitats in remote villages of  Banarjour, Talpukuria, Gazalia, Nayakandi and Kacharivita villages in the upazila.

Men, women and children are engaged in water hyacinth-based income earning. Since the morning, they go to rivers, canals and other habitats along small boats for collections of flowers of the free-floating plant.

A recent visit found Shankar Baroi drying raw plants along a village road. He said, entrepreneurs come with vans for purchasing water hyacinths; this season continues from Magh to Chaitra months; but collection and drying of water hyacinths run for the whole year.  

It takes five to six days to dry the plants after cutting from marshes. Per kilogram (kg) dried plants sells at Tk 52. One kg dried hyacinth is found from 2.5-30kg raw plants. Per maund raw water hyacinth sells at Tk 100-120 while dried one sells at Tk 1,500-2,000.

Without investment, many people are becoming solvent in these villages. 

A housewife Tahinur Begum said, "After the household works, I dry stems of water hyacinth. It needs three/four hours for drying stems under the sun. I can support my family with the earning."  

Another Nilufa Begum said, "It does not hamper our household works. We are delighted to get extra incomes."

School student Nayan said,"After coming from school, I can assist my parents. I  can earn Tk 100-200 daily." 
  
Kotalipara Upazila Agriculture Officer Dolan Chandra Ray said, the usefulness of water hyacinth is significant in the agriculture; it keeps fertility in soil; and bottle gourd, sweet pumpkin and vegetables can be cultivated hugely on floating water hyacinths in marshes and beels by raising beds of soil, fertiliser and cow dung.         

"Once dried water hyacinth would be burnt, but now usable things are made with water hyacinth, creating employments," he added. 

He further said, as raw materials water hyacinth are sent to different handcraft and cottage industries; items of water hyacinth can be sustainable for 10 years; as it is perishable, the items are environment-friendly; and these things also provide mild breeze.



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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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