The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Boat rides to start again at Akkulam

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Monday, Mar 17, 2008
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Boat rides to start again at Akkulam

S. Anil Radhakrishnan

Lake will be cleaned up from today

Public to be roped in for the cleaning operation
Waste water contaminating
the lake

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The public will be roped in to rid Akkulam lake of water hyacinth that has completely engulfed it and brought to a halt boat rides on it.

The District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC), which manages the Akkulam tourist village and the boat club, is roping in residents’ associations, voluntary organisations and others for the cleaning drive from Monday.

Attempts to rid the lake of water weeds have not been successful despite crores being spent over the years. The council has now sought the participation of the public in the drive. “The aim is to remove the water weeds and to commence boat services at the earliest,” DTPC Secretary K.G. Vijayakumar said.

From over a dozen boats fetching up to Rs.10,000 a day at one time, the fleet strength has reduced to two safari boats and a couple of pedal and row boats.

People’s representatives, including local councillors, have pledged all assistance for the drive.

The DTPC personnel have extended support for the removal of water hyacinth, beginning of boating operations and restoring the charm of the destination.

The DTPC had suspended boat rides as it was not possible to operate boats from the tourist village to the adjacent Veli tourist village and back through the water-hyacinth-infested lake. The bund constructed for taking up work on the Akkulam bridge on the National Highway 47 bypass is also resulting in the weeds drifting to the village. The efforts of the Water Resources Department to desilt the canal at a cost of Rs.75 lakh and of the Inland Transport Wing to increase its depth did not meet with success.

Waste water from the Amayizhanjan canal and waste dumped by local people, hoteliers and hospitals are contaminating the lake, sources said. The proposal to set up a treatment plant at the point where the canal joins the lake is yet to materialise.

Tourism sources said the drive would be a futile exercise as the previous ones if the weeds were not removed from the shore. Lack of funds is the main problem faced by the DTPC in completely removing the weeds.

Mr. Vijayakumar said the attempt will be to make a channel to begin boat operations from the Akkulam tourist village in view of the forthcoming domestic tourist season. Machines would be pressed into service to shift the water weeds that are being removed, he said.

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