Everyone wants to make their wedding memorable. A young woman, Kalyani B. from Kainakary in low-lying Kuttanad in the district, has ingeniously used the “most important event” in her life to bring attention to the problems caused by water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), one of the most troublesome aquatic plants, and highlight the importance of its value-addition.
Ms. Kalyani has created unique invitation cards for her wedding scheduled on January 21 using handmade paper from the pulp of water hyacinth.
“I have grown up seeing water hyacinth choking waterbodies, affecting paddy cultivation and inland navigation and snuffing out the life in freshwater ecosystems. The infestation has affected our day-to-day life and the threat is getting bigger with time. I chose my wedding to highlight the problem,” says Ms. Kalyani, an MSc Marine Biology student at the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies.
