ALAPPUZHA: The Controller and Auditor General’s (CAG) report about the absence of proper safety provisions in the houseboat industry, a major revenue earning sector in the state, is a setback to the industry. The lack of facilities and the absence of trained crew pose challenges to tourists keen to enjoy the beauty of lakes and lagoons, mainly in central Travancore.The CAG, in its report submitted in the table of the Assembly last week, said most of the boats cruising in the backwaters are also not registered with the proper authorities. But the state government and the Tourism Department remain reluctant to implement reports presented by various committees to save the lake and the industry.
In 2008, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) had recommended setting up the Vembanad Lake Development Authority (VLDA) for the management of the lake and to protect the largest ecosystem in the country, but nothing has materialised even after a decade. The report submitted to the Planning Commission by the MoEF said “the lake will be destroyed if the government fails to appoint a proper agency to monitor the Lake”. The report also demanded the state government set up the VLDA with full powers and autonomy for enforcing the legal mechanism to protect and review the ecosystem, but the state government has not started any moves towards this.
The MoEF report noted “over 1,000 houseboats operate on Punnamada kayal and over 150 transport boats ply within the lake connecting the nearby villages, leaving a lasting impact on the lake ecosystem. The tourism in the lake should be regulated through controlling the number of houseboats operating here. The solid waste and sewage generated by them should be processed properly. To attract tourist,s efforts should be made to clean the lake, introduce freshwater fish, create mangroves and scenic spots within the lake.”
Another report submitted in 2013 by a committee led by then state tourism secretary Suman Billa, also recommended setting up an agency to coordinate the safety and challenges faced by tourists and protect the ecology of the lake, but its recommendations also remain on paper. The committee was set up after a tragedy in which four members of a family drowned in the lake.