Story By:
Elizabeth Frimpong
A retired Water Research Scientist, Mr. Kwaku Amoako Arthur de-Graft Johnson has emphasized on the application of weedicide to eliminate the aquatic weeds that has dominated the Kpong river in the Eastern Region of Ghana on Tuesday March 23, 2016 during Rite 90.1 FM USAID/ FUNDED Program ‘FEED THE FUTURE PLATFORM’ discussion.
According to him, some of the aquatic weeds are as a result of nature, through dispersal of seeds by birds, flowing of rivers and others are as a result of human activities either intentional or unintentional. He said, having examined the nature of the weeds, the use of human efforts to eradicate the weeds will prove futile since the weeds grow rapidly (thus, twice as their numbers within two weeks).
Mr. Arthur de-Graft Johnson further explained that, weeds like Water hyson, Red water fern and Cyplos Papilos are all aliens which immigrated to Ghana. “ The water hyson weeds are very difficult to eradicate since their flowers when dried, pave way for the seeds to drop into the river and can stay there for 15 years and will again germinate if the conditions are favorable so they need persistence treatments in order to remove them’’ he said.
Mr. Amoako cautioned the residence at the area to desist from throwing waste particles in the river since the weeds feed on them. He urged listeners not to a consider aquatic weeds as a spiritual attack on the river rather there have been Resorts, factories and hotels around the area and all their wastes enter in the river, which are the major contributing human factor to the increment of the weeds on the river body. He added that, the Environmental Protection Agency (E P A) should be there to monitor the use of the weedicide to eradicate the weeds when spraying is in progress. ‘’ The weedicide won’t cause any harm to the water if care is being taken’’ he assured.
Source: ritefmonline.org
