A Pune resident known locally as the city’s “witch” has drawn attention for transforming water hyacinth, an invasive aquatic weed, into sustainable handmade products.
Water hyacinth has long been considered a nuisance species in Indian water bodies, clogging lakes and rivers and disrupting local ecosystems. The Pune local’s work repurposes the plant into usable materials, offering a small-scale approach to managing the invasive species while creating environmentally conscious products.
The initiative has been highlighted as an example of grassroots innovation addressing an ecological problem that has affected water bodies across several Indian states.
Municipal bodies in several Indian states have struggled for years to control water hyacinth’s spread using mechanical removal alone, making small-scale reuse initiatives like this one a notable complement to conventional clearing efforts.
Created by Ayen Stabel.
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Sources:
https://indianexpress.com/archive/2026/07/21/