Alappuzha: Sailing between Vaikom in Kottayam district and Thavanakkadavu in Alappuzha district across the mighty Vembanad Lake, one of the busiest water routes in Kerala stretching to 2.4 kilometres, can be a struggle for every passenger on a regular weekday. On Thursday, however, it was a different scene here altogether.
Around 2 pm, the usual line of commuters flocking the boat jetty at Thavanakkadavu here, all but disappeared abruptly. The location was soon blanketed by a thick security apparatus, headed by District Police Chief Aiswarya Dongre. The entire area was cordoned off and every nook and cranny of the jetty was inspected using trained dogs of the K-9 battalion of Kerala Police.
The boat services along the route were suspended till 6 pm but most of the commuters had failed to take notice of a prior notice about this. Commuters kept pouring in, and so did the people who reached to catch a glimpse of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. A 'panchavadyam' percussion group, brought in to accord a traditional welcome, performed under the blazing sun for some time even as the ministers, who are part of the CM’s entourage, arrived in different batches. Ministers V N Vasavan, Ahamed Devarkovil, and P Prasad were the first to reach the district.
As if the arrangements on the land were not enough, a fleet of 15 country boats decorated with red balloons lined up on the water to greet the CM. The festive atmosphere notwithstanding, the wait for the resumption of boat service was prolonged on, as there was still uncertainty over the exact timing of the CM’s arrival.
After 4.30 pm, office goers and school student arrived from different points and assembled outside the jetty’s premises. The Rapid Response Team of the state police had already made the entire jetty out of bounds for the public using barricades.
But even as all arrangements on the land fell in place as planned, the situation on the Vembanad Lake turned tricky. The bobbing sheets of water hyacinths that accumulated near the jetty proved too strong a barrier for the vessels to negotiate. At one point, the boat that had carried Industries Minister P Rajeeve and others faced difficulty wading through the weeds. The Kerala State Water Transport Department soon swung into action, deploying its rescue vessel, which pumped water to help clear the way.
The excitement in the air, meanwhile, reached a crescendo as the special Nava Kerala bus and the vehicles of the commando team were ferried on the jankar. Some 10 minutes later, the CM boarded Aditya, the first solar ferry in the country, and reached here at 5.35 pm, along with 12 other ministers, including P A Mohammed Riyas and Saji Cherian. The solar ferry was escorted by seven boats including three speedboats of the Kerala Police, two of the Fire Force, and two boats carrying the support staff and police personnel.
Amidst the burning of firecrackers and loud sloganeering, the CM made his way to the bus and left for Arayankavu - the venue of the first Nava Kerala Sadas in Alappuzha. The commuters, who had waited patiently for hours, soon overwhelmed the jetty and all of a sudden, rush hours started as usual as they jostled to get a ticket to reach the other side of Vembanad Lake.
