NPP MP Hiruni Wijesinghe has tabled a parliamentary motion calling for urgent government action against water hyacinth — locally known as “Japan Jabara” (Eichhornia crassipes) — an invasive aquatic weed choking waterways, reservoirs and wetlands across Sri Lanka.
The Amazon Basin native was introduced to the island around 1904-1905 as an ornamental plant. The motion references a WWII-era claim that Allied forces encouraged its spread to conceal water bodies from Japanese aircraft — a story woven into local folklore that gave the plant its Sinhala name.
The invasive species is now described as “one of the country’s most aggressive invasive plants.” Dense mats disrupt irrigation channels, accumulate sediment, impair water flow, degrade water quality and obstruct hydropower generation. Stagnant water trapped beneath the mats creates breeding grounds for dengue and filariasis mosquito vectors.
The MP argued that current chemical herbicide control methods pose health hazards to communities reliant on affected water sources, and called for “integrated and environmentally responsible” management approaches.
The motion is expected to come up for parliamentary debate in the coming weeks. The issue connects to broader concerns about declining reservoir levels affecting hydropower output and water supply across the Central Province.
Source: The Island
