Dense mats of water hyacinth have covered large stretches of Kochi’s backwaters, leaving traditional fishermen unable to cast nets, row boats or continue fishing, according to a report by Madhyamam – Kochi. The blockage is also affecting shell collectors and other workers who depend on the waterways for their livelihoods.
The algae has spread thickly across the surface of the backwaters in the Palluruthy area. Chinese-net fishermen are unable to lower their nets into the water, while algae is getting caught in stake nets. The accumulated plant matter is damaging fishing nets and breaking the poles used to support them, the report said.
Fishermen who use cast nets are also unable to throw them properly. Small boats are becoming trapped in dense clusters of algae, preventing workers from rowing through the backwaters. The obstruction has made fishing extremely difficult, if not impossible, for several groups that depend on daily access to the water.
The disruption is affecting household incomes in the coastal belt. Traditional fishing families are facing a period of severe hardship as the algae prevents them from earning through their usual work, according to Madhyamam. Workers who collect shellfish from the backwaters are also reported to be facing the same difficulty.
The report said that residents living along the water’s edge are additionally troubled by snakes moving from the algae-covered water towards the shore. This has added a public-safety concern to the livelihood crisis created by the obstruction.
Questions have also been raised over the response of the Kochi Municipal Corporation. The civic body purchased a weed harvester in 2024 to remove aquatic growth from the backwaters, but municipal officials are reportedly unable to say where the machine is currently located. The absence of an effective removal operation has intensified criticism among residents and fishing communities.
The algae is reportedly reaching Kochi’s backwaters from the Kuttanad paddy fields through the Thanneermukkom bund. The report said the water hyacinth is expected to begin decaying only when salinity in the backwaters rises, a process that may require waiting until December. Until then, fishing and related work could remain disrupted, based on the conditions described in the report.
Fishing communities have expressed anger over annual announcements of algae-removal projects that, they say, have not translated into sustained action on the water. The immediate issue now is the removal of the accumulated algae and the restoration of access for fishing boats, nets and shell-collection activities. Madhyamam reported that authorities had not yet provided an effective response to the continuing obstruction.
