Alappuzha: Amid the festival rush, the unusual dry spell and the stagnant water have compounded the travelling woes of hundreds of people living in the interior areas of Alappuzha, for whom boats are the major means of commutation.
The explosion of water hyacinth in the backwaters is resulting in frequent disruption to boat services on the Alappuzha-Changanassery route. Despite several complaints, authorities have not found a solution to tackle the “natural problem”.
“The boats are developing technical snags frequently. Often, we get stranded in the middle of the lake for up to an hour before alternate arrangements are made. Of late, the boat services have become irregular and behind schedule, resulting in hardships to daily commuters like us,” said Ambika Nair, a lawyer residing in Kavalam.
The State Water Transport Department (SWTD) authoities are trying in vain to operate full-fledged services in the wake of increased commuter flow.
“As there is no water flow, most of the routes are infested with water hyacinth. Weeds damage the propellers, bringing the services to a halt. And it will take at least two days to repair and deploy the boat again for service operation,” said a senior SWTD official.
Commenting on the delay in services, the official said that on water hyacinth-covered stretches, boats can only travel slowly. “The same has rendered continuous operation of boats without providing time for engines to cool down. This also has resulted in them developing technical glitches,” the official said.
The glitches come at the worst time SWTD as its yourists services are booked to the brim. “The tourist services, including Vega and See Kuttanad, are fully booked from August 26 to September 3. The passenger boats too are packed," the official added.
