
KOCHI: While the pristine backwaters and quaint village setting have been attracting tourists to Kumbalangi in Ernakulam, the first model tourism village in the country needs more to be accelerated as a tourist hotspot.“The model tourism village project was launched between the 2000 and 2005 period when K V Thomas was the tourism minister,” said Shaji Kurupassery, secretary, Kumbalangi Model Tourism Village Development Society. “It was a project that hadn’t been envisaged or implemented anywhere in the country. As a part of the project, a lot of activities that would result in attracting tourists to the place were carried out,” he added.
Initiatives like installation of bio-toilets and bio-gas plants were implemented. According to Shaji, schemes and projects worth `2 crore were carried out “But the successive government didn’t take up the work or earmark funds for further development activities,” he said.
“We have many plans charted out. One of them is developing the Kumbalangi bund road,” he said. According to Edward Justin, president, Kumbalangi Nature Club, a lot needs to be done to make the village tourist-friendly.“Infrastructure is the problem. We have homestays and beautiful places in the village. But the roads are in shambles now,” he said.
According to him, the tourism project in the village has become a success only because of the combined effort of the residents, people’s representatives and organisations like the club. “We have been carrying out a lot of cleaning activities in places like the bund road. Till a year back, the place used to be a dumping ground for wastes,” he said.
According to him, the nature club had cleaned out around 30 tonne of waste comprising mainly of diapers and plastic. “Now the dumping of waste has decreased drastically,” he said. “If the government does its part, the village will become a major tourist hub in the country,” Edward added. According to him, though Covid has put a stop to the arrival of tourists from outside the state, domestic travellers are making a beeline for the place.