Houseboat boom in Kuttanad spurs Kerala govt to assess vessel capacity of environmentally fragile Vembanad Lake

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government has announced a survey to determine the ship-carrying capacity of the scenic and environmentally sensitive Vembanad Lake, given the abundance of registered and unregistered houseboats, speedboats and other tourist vessels operating at the major backwater tourist destination at Kuttanad in Kerala’s Alappuzha district.

Responding to an eye-catching motion by LDF’s legislator from Kuttanad, Thomas K. Thomas, Health Minister Veena George said the Central Water Resources department had flagged that commercial vessels, including speedboats and pleasure boats, in Vembanad were far beyond the carrying capacity of the lake.

Ms. George was speaking on behalf of Tourism Minister PA Mohamed Riyas, who was in Delhi.

Ms George said the oversupply of commercial vessels was severely straining the delicate marine ecology of the vast lake, raising questions about the environmental sustainability of backwater tourism and the livelihoods of fishermen and farmers in the Kuttanad region.

HC permission sought

Ms George said the government had sought permission from the Supreme Court to conduct the survey, given the number of cases pending in the judiciary on the issue.

Ms. George said the Kerala State Pollution Control Board will only allow houseboats with sewage biotank facilities to apply for registration with the Kerala Ports department.

He also promised to set up more sewage treatment plants along the Vembanad lake to prevent raw sewage from homes, resorts and houseboats from leaking into the natural lake and thus endangering marine life and threatening its ecosystem.

Pollution control norms ‘ignored’

Mr Thomas told the House that a conservative estimate was that at least 900 houseboats were operating on the lake without official registration.

He said lawbreakers in the trade were ignoring pollution control norms, including banning the use of plastic on ships. He noted that floating boats secretly dump raw sewage and cellar waste into the lake when they anchor with tourists for the night.

Moreover, he demanded proper inspection and safety clearance from the boat crew, including their proficiency in handling passenger boats when the waters of Vembanad become rough during inclement weather.

Mr Thomas also requested regular inspections of the structural safety of houseboats, including verification of compliance with passenger and fire safety norms, as well as the provision of life jackets and instructions on safe practices on tourist vessels.

He said Vembanad Lake was turning muddy rapidly. He demanded regular dredging to restore the lake’s depth. He demanded a shipping canal passing through the middle of the lake to facilitate the passage of freight and tourists to Kochi, making it easier and more environmentally friendly.

Mr Thomas also sought government support for marketing Kuttanad’s specialties, including local produce such as pearl spotted fish, freshwater oysters, toddy and poultry, including duck eggs and meat. He said the uncontrolled growth of plastic garbage and water weeds, including hyacinth, was a disaster for Vembanad.