Water hyacinth reclaims Ooty lake despite recent cleanup drive

Less than two years after a major cleanup operation, water hyacinth has once again taken over large sections of Ooty lake in Tamil Nadu. Local bird watchers have documented a sharp fall in the bird population following the cleanup drive, which they attribute to unscientific methods that destroyed sand banks and reed beds—habitats the birds depended on.

The resurgence of the invasive aquatic plant highlights concerns about the sustainability of the earlier cleanup effort and raises questions about the environmental impact of the restoration approach taken.