Houseboat industry in Kerala prepares to celebrate silver jubilee

ALAPPUZHA: The houseboat of Venice of the East that attracts hundreds of tourists to the backwaters here is preparing for year-long celebrations marking its silver jubilee from Nov 15. Alappuzha Tourism Development Cooperative Society (ATDC), inspired by the design of yesteryear rice boats used for transporting goods from Kochi through the Vembanad Lake, conceived the idea of houseboats in the present form in 1991 and it soon became a major tourist attraction.

The society's secretary T.G. Raghu remembers the first boat, designed to carry just a couple of tourists. Operated manually, its first trip was on the Alappuzha-Kollam waterway. Later, it became highly popular among foreigners who began flocking the town for a backwater cruise. The mechanisation started in 1994, revolutionising the industry. "Innovations like multi-bedrooms and air-conditioned conference halls followed. Now a tourist can rent even 10-room houseboats here," he says.

Over 1,200 houseboats currently operate here, and it is now a Rs 1,000 crore market. But they give scant regards to safety measures. On January 26, 2013, the industry witnessed the worst tragedy here when a houseboat capsized at Punnamada Jetty killing four tourists from Chennai. Following this, the government appointed a high-level committee which recommended a slew of measures. But three years down the line, nothing substantial realised.

The panel headed by principal tourism secretary suggested a system of check-ins and check-outs at Punnamada and other jetties and terminals here for controlling traffic and keeping a tab on them. A list of safe boats was to be published in three months and if any deficiencies were found, one week's time would be given to rectify. Another suggestion was listing of safe water routes and safe jetties.

Others include repairing jetties in bad shape, permanent jetties in Punnamada, removal of 14 unsafe floating piers, and new houseboat terminals at Arookutty, Thanneermukkom, Pallathuruthy and Nedumudi. It also suggested GPS-supported navigation for all boats and a special police station at Punnamada for patrolling and rescue operations in Kochi, Alappuzha and Kumarakom.