The Hindu Business Line : SWTD to sell Kuttanad waterways

THE State Water Transport Department has mooted a novel venture - See Kuttanad Programme - for visitors to the picturesque waterways in and around Alappuzha.

The department has proposed a dawn-to-dusk tour package as part of the programme, meant specially for groups of students, to familiarise the new generation to the waterways, Mr L. Mohan Kumar, Director, SWTD said.

He said such a package would also be a boon to tourists as the narrow, palm-fringed canals that cut through the paddy fields and tiny hamlets of the Kuttanad region offer a panoramic view.

The tourism potential of the State waterways remains largely untapped even though the State is blessed with rivers, lakes and lagoons. Once this programme is launched, Mr Mohan Kumar said, it would help identify other areas in backwater tourism such as water skiing, surfing, kayaking etc in the region.

SWTD has already approached the State Government for necessary sanction to carry out such a conducted tour programme. The newly built steel boats - Skates - constructed by the Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation, with a capacity to carry 100 passengers, will be pressed into service. The boats will operate on a `no loss no profit' basis while carrying passengers to different areas in and around Alappuzha on its daily trips. SWTD has proposed to charge a nominal amount from student groups for this conducted tour package, he said.

The programme will also showcase several tourist attractions in Vembanad Lake such as the Pathiramanal Island, the Thanneermukkam Bund used to stop sea water from mixing with fresh water and different methods of farming adopted by people in the Kuttanad region.

Infrastructure facilities have to be completed before marketing the tour package. The State Tourism Department has also agreed to co-operate with SWTD in this novel venture.

Boat terminals have to be set up in several places in the region before the commencement of the service. The terminals will have facilities for re-fuelling, collecting water and disposing of waste, Mr Mohan Kumar said.