Why in news?

The Sankhya Sagar Lake in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district has virtually disappeared under a thick layer of Water Hyacinth.

About

Sankhya Sagar Lake helps maintain the ecological balance of the Madhav National Park and is a Ramsar site.

• The Maniyar River connects the Sankhya Sagar to another lake, Jadhav Sagar.
• The Lake has a mix of riverine and palustrine habitat. It is home to migratory birds during the winter Seasons. It is also home to marsh crocodiles.

Water Hyacinth

• Water Hyacinth is an invasive species native to South America. The plant has naturalized itself in many other parts of the world.
• Being a prolific spreader, it covers the entire surface of a water body and does not allow sunlight to Penetrate the water and also starts depleting oxygen.
• Despite being considered an invasive species, it acts as a water purifier by removing heavy metals from water when present in small quantities.