UTTARAKHAND, INDIA – Water hyacinth flowers and plants, while visually appealing, pose a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems. Their rapid spread can cover entire ponds, blocking sunlight and air from reaching the water. This causes a lack of oxygen, suffocating other aquatic plants and animals, including fish. Water hyacinth reduces water flow by 20 to 40 percent, making it a major threat to aquatic biodiversity and the environment.
However, Somesh Sharma, a graduate student from Dineshpur in Uttarakhand, India, has devised a unique solution to this problem. Sharma has successfully created paper from water hyacinth without using any chemicals. This innovative approach, achieved after months of hard work and experimentation, results in paper that is much stronger and more durable than traditional paper, which often harms the environment.
Sharma’s achievement has been recognized internationally, earning him a place in the ASEAN World Record in Malaysia. Somesh Sharma, son of Ramashankar Sharma, a retiree from GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, previously made headlines by creating paper from moss, earning his first world record. His latest innovation with water hyacinth marks his second world record.
Somesh Sharma emphasizes that no harmful chemicals were used in his process, and the resulting paper is both stronger and more durable than conventional options. This breakthrough not only provides an eco-friendly alternative to traditional paper but also offers a sustainable solution to managing the invasive water hyacinth problem.