KOCHI: Green pokkali paddy fields, pristine backwaters with Chinese fishing nets, boating in traditional boats and finger-licking native cuisine — these and many more attractions have been developed at Palliyakkal, Ezhikkara, aiming to protect and conserve the indigenous pokkali farming endemic to the district.
The story of a measure to preserve and protect a 3,000-year-old traditional farming method and a rice variety endemic to the district begins with PAADI — Pokkali Aqua Agritourism Destination Initiative — an experiential eco-tourism initiative.
Sanil V V, secretary of Palliyakkal Service Co-operative Bank, told TNIE, “The initiative is a product of an association between the co-operative bank, and the district tourism promotion council and the pokkali farmers of Palliyakkal in Ezhikara panchayat.”
The area under actual Pokkali paddy cultivation in the district is reported to be around 350 hectares (out of roughly 4,000 to 4,500 hectares of total historical Pokkali field areas, most of which have remained uncultivated or transformed).
Explaining PAADI, he said, “The project is an umbrella initiative centred around paddy fields. It has two main components: Tours (Agricultural Tours) and a Village Hub. The tours feature multiple customised options, including half-day, full-day, sunset, and sunrise tours.”
The project has been designed in line with experiential tourism. “Trial runs have been conducted since the previous year. The tours incorporate modern technology using Pokkali.in, a GPS-enabled mobile application, specifically designed for the purpose,” said Sanil.