Alappuzha: The government order to stop issuing licences for constructing new houseboats in Alappuzha came into force this month. It will hopefully prevent any further pollution of the Vembanad Lake and ensure that tourists get better service.
The unrestricted operation of house boats was causing serious environmental deterioration of the fragile ecosystem, as toilet waste, plastic and oil was dumped in the water body. The number of houseboats plying on the lake is more than the carrying capacity of the lake and as many as 45 houseboats are still under construction.
A study conducted by the Alappuzha district panchayat in April 2012 had revealed that there were 604 houseboats operated by 18 companies, in addition to 308 private motorboats and 33 speedboats. The study also found that there were 98 houseboats in the district plying without the no-objection certificate of the Kerala State Pollution Control Board.
Welcoming the new order, N. Sreekumar, general secretary, All Kerala Houseboat Owners’ Association (AKHOA) told Deccan Chronicle that the order banning new houseboats was a long standing demand of the association. It would control the number of houseboats as the lake is congested with them. “A huge number of houseboats will lead to unhealthy competition that will not be helpful for the industry,” he said.
The owners will not be affected by the new order as the government has allowed the exchange of ownerships of houseboats. The Vembanad Lake, spanning 2033 sq km, is one of the largest lakes in the country. Some 1000 houseboats operate along the Alappuzha-Kumarakam stretch.
The government was forced to bring in the restriction after repeated demands from different quarters to save the lake, which is one of the largest eco systems on the planet.
Considering the gravity of the situation, the Department of Environment and Climate Change of the State government decided to look into the environmental issues created by the houseboats last March.
The directorate sanctioned a research project to assess the effect of houseboats on the Vembanad Lake ecosystem. P. Sreekandan Nair, director, department of Environment and Climate Change told DC that the banning of new houseboats would make huge impact.
In April 2013, V.D. Satheeshan, T.N. Prathapan, V.T. Balaram and M.V. Shreyamskumar – known as the ‘green MLAs’ - demanded after visiting the Vembanad Lake that legislation should be framed to conserve the wetlands and the lake, and blamed the soaring number of houseboats for causing much of the damage.
K.M. Poovu, a noted environmentalist and secretary of the Vembanad Kayal Samprakshana Samithy, told Deccan Chronicle that the dumping of toilet waste and plastics from houseboats was a huge threat to the ecosystem.
“With the introduction of the houseboat, the fresh water lakes and waterfalls have turned black. The gleaming and pristine water of the backwater is so dirty that locals cannot carry out their day to day work. The plastic materials thrown into the lake has affected the fish wealth.
It is estimated that a total of 7,500 tonnes of fish wealth is depleting every year in the lake. The decision to control houseboats should have been taken earlier. The capacity of the lake for carrying houseboats has already been exceeded,” he said.
K.R. Vinod, the port officer who issues licences to houseboats in Alappuzha, said that the government order had been enforced from January 1. The government has restricted only construction of new houseboats, but the people who have applied for a licence until December 31 will be granted a licence, he said. He said the port office will be vigilant and will tackle errant houseboat owners, and extensive raids had been ordered since the new order came into force.
Switten George, a houseboat owner, agrees that the decision will help to contain environmental pollution and at the same time curb unhealthy competition between houseboat operators. He also said that the industry is currently seeing an unprecedented slow down, with many houseboats berthed and without bookings for months. The arrival of new houseboats would thus not have been beneficial. “We welcome the decision,” he concluded.
