Juhu resident Saloni Tirodkar feels a sharp pang every time she steps out on her terrace or looks through the window of her home. Tirodkar, who has lived in Juhu since 2002, is a nature aficionado, wildlife enthusiast and bird watcher. She has watched with distress as water hyacinth formed a carpet of green on a lake within the Juhu Pawan Hans airport. The Juhu Lake is literally being choked by this fast-growing, invasive plant. 

Water hyacinth is a very invasive plant that grows and reproduces very quickly, literally covering water bodies in the blink of an eye. The decay process depletes dissolved oxygen in the water often killing aquatic life. Tirodkar said, “I am witness to the shrinking of this lake which I have been seeing every day for the past 23 years. It is being obliterated by the water hyacinth. It was once a thriving, living water body. Today, hyacinth has taken over. I often see dead fish floating on the lake.”