GHMC’s oil ball experiment in lakes draws flak

  • | Thursday | 12th December, 2019

Thousands of small gunny bags soaked in the used motor oil were let into the lake on December 7, an entomologist from GHMC said. “The used motor oil was collected from motor service centres, industries to prepare oil balls,” he said. When motor oil circulates through an engine, it picks up heavy metals and other contaminants like arsenic, lead, cadmium, copper, zinc, chromium. However, environmentalists differ with GHMC over using oil balls in lakes. “Oil balls can only hurt aquatic life and won’t disturb the aquatic life,” the GHMC official added

By Express News Service HYDERABAD: With an aim to curb mosquito menace, the GHMC’s Entomology wing last week released 2,500 oil balls into Langer Houz Lake on an experimental basis to kill the larvae. Thousands of small gunny bags soaked in the used motor oil were let into the lake on December 7, an entomologist from GHMC said. “The used motor oil was collected from motor service centres, industries to prepare oil balls,” he said. When motor oil circulates through an engine, it picks up heavy metals and other contaminants like arsenic, lead, cadmium, copper, zinc, chromium. Plus, some organic compounds like benzene and hydrocarbons are more than just enough to contaminate the lake further. However, environmentalists differ with GHMC over using oil balls in lakes. ‘’The layer of oil on water also blocks oxygen that diffuses into the water from the air causing damage to the aquatic life. Oil cannot mix with water. It will create a layer on top of the water surface that would suffocate aquatic life to death. Besides killing mosquito larvae, it will also hurt aquatic organisms, like planktons, fish and amphibians who help to maintain water ecology,” said BV Subba Rao, an environmentalist. “Any kind of oil is not good for a water body. Western countries have filtration methods like oily waste water treatment to separate oil from fresh water. It is unfortunate that we are doing the opposite,” he said. Ironically, GHMC Entomologists have a different opinion altogether. “Langer Houz lake like any other lake is polluted. It is contaminated with sewerage. Polluted lakes serve as breeding ground for culex mosquitoes,” an entomologist from GHMC said. “Oil balls can only hurt aquatic life in fresh water bodies.”Besides, the corporation is using a larvicide with used engine oil, to target the larvae alone. ‘Oil balls will not disturb aquatic life’ Ironically, GHMC Entomologists have a different from those who oppose the new innovative. “Langer Houz lake, like any other lake, is polluted. It is contaminated with sewerage. Polluted lakes serve as breeding ground for culex mosquitoes,” an entomologist said. “Oil balls can only hurt aquatic life and won’t disturb the aquatic life,” the GHMC official added

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