Even as the water level in all rivers across the region has begun to drop with the rising temperature, the bobbing green sheets of water hyacinth is gradually bringing life to a halt in the backwater landscape of Kottayam.
According to officials with the State Water Transport Department (SWTD), the water transport system in the region, especially in areas beyond the R-block, has been thrown into complete disarray as the entire canals and rivers adjoining the Vembanad Lake are clogged up with the floating plant.
More time
For instance, it takes the SWTD boats at least 20 minutes to negotiate the two-km-long stretch from Panchikadavu to Kanjiram, which is occupied by thick mats of the water plant. The rapid proliferation of the weed has also forced the department to cut short the services to locations like Kumarakom and Changanassery.
“The timings of our services in the Kottayam-Alappuzha sector, which enjoys patronage from the commuters and tourists alike, have been severely affected. Though no cancellations have been made so far, we cannot operate through these plants for long as it will damage the shaft or leaf of the boat engines. Similarly, logs or other debris are often hidden within the weeds and the boat crew will not be able to identify such hazards during service,” said Rajan, SWTD Senior Superintendent in Kottayam.
According to him, any disruption in the operation of these boats is bound to affect hundreds of commuters, including school students, from the low-lying western interiors of the district, especially during the upcoming examination season.
Besides the passenger services, these densely intertwined carpets have taken a toll on the tourism industry as well. “These plants keep gently rolling in the winds and can chock an entire canal in a matter of few hours. Taking this into consideration, we have now rescheduled the houseboat cruises to the morning hours though it is the sunset cruise that remains the most- favourite package,” explained K. Arun Kumar, secretary, Chamber of Vembanad Hotels and Resorts (CVHR).
Meanwhile, the weeds have also affected transporting of drinking water to the Upper Kuttanad area and movement of paddy from fields, in addition to the inland fisheries sector.
Clearing weeds
The Kottayam District administration, in coordination with the local bodies have launched a drive to clear the weeds near the Kumarakom jetty, the operation is yet to gather steam due to shortage of wee harvesting machines . At present, the operations are being carried out using only one machine while a second one, which is undergoing repairs, will join the fleet in the next couple of days.
“The weeds keep coming in from the lake even as we clear the canals. Taking note of this, the local bodies have been requested to mark the boundaries of these canals using nets and the matter will be taken up with the District Collector for scaling up the operation,” said Muhammad Sheriff, Assistant Engineer of the Department of Agriculture, who coordinates the weed-harvesting initiative.
