ALLEPPEY: Visiting cards made of water hyacinth, made by Zoology students of SD College, are in demand even in Central Ministries. The list of those who have ordered the card includes Leena Nandan, Secretary, Ministry of Forest and Environment, Joint Secretary Dr. Sujit Kumar Bajpai, UGC Secretary Prof. Manish Joshi etc.

It was developed by student startup EichhoTech. It is headed by Dr G Nagendra Prabhu, Associate Professor of Zoology and Chief Researcher, Water Resources Research Centre. Nagendra Prabhu was contacted by the central officials when they reached Kerala.

Wedding card made from water hyacinth

The wedding invitation of Kalyani, a first-year MSc marine biology student at Fisheries University, was printed on water hyacinth paper. As a Zoology student at SD College, Kalyani's last semester project was at EichhoTech. Kalyani, the daughter of C Anil, a driver in the water transport department, and Bindu, an employee of Ayurveda Medical College, will get married on the 21st of this month. The groom is Abhay Sujan of Shankara Vilasam, Moozhi, Kattakada, Thiruvananthapuram.

A household mixer, cooker and stove are enough

• Roots of water hyacinth are removed. The leaves and stems are cut into small pieces and grinded in a mixer. Following this it is cooked to a pulp. All one need is a household mixer, cooker and stove. Paper collected after use in the college will also be pulped. Two will be added in fixed ratio.
• This pulp is poured into a mould in the form of paper. The resulting paper is then transferred to a wrinkle-free cloth and then hung to dry. The next day the dry paper is peeled off from the cloth.
• This paper can be cut for wedding cards, visiting cards, mementoes, gifts and stationery. Offset printing and screen printing can be done on this paper. Paper suitable for computer printers has also been developed.

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For wedding cards: 20-25 rupees

"The different thinking of Kalyani, who comes from the centre of a water hyacinth problem, is appreciated".

- Prof Dr G Nagendra Prabhu,

Associate Professor, Department of Zoology, SD College