Shanghai water management authorities are seeking cooperation from Zhejiang and Jiangsu government authorities in managing excessive duckweed growth along its waters, after the most serious outbreak of the plant in a decade has affected waterways in Jinshan district.
Home to the upper reaches of the Huangpu River, the district, which meets the northeastern tip of Zhejiang, has suffered most from the spread of the plants – 70 percent of which has spread to the city from Zhejiang, said authorities.
In fact, the situation this year has called for 82 ships and 1,400 workers to clear the plants before they drift too far down the Huangpu River, said Zhang Li, deputy director of river cleaning department for Jinshan’s water resources management station.
“We should work together to strengthen routine cleaning in the area to minimize the problem,” he told the Global Times Thursday.
Zhang said that duckweed typically grows most aggressively from June to July, but this year, the plant is still going strong due to low water levels and exposure to lengthy hours of sunshine.
He expected that workers would clear more than 60,000 tons of the plant from the waters this year, exceeding the average 55,000 tons of duckweed removed annually.
Global Times