Munroe/ Kollam: The waters tested her more than once. Floods washed away her first crop while the pandemic disrupted the next. But Sandhya did not retreat. The retired English professor chose persistence over despair and transformed a fragile aquaculture dream into a thriving enterprise of pearlspot farming.

Sandhya C Vidyadharan of Kovilakam in Kadappakkada, a retired English professor of DB College, is now reaping rich returns from the waters of Munroe Island. Sandhya and her husband, I G Shilu, an Executive Engineer with the Coastal Development Corporation, first arrived here years ago as tourists. Captivated by the serene landscape, they later purchased five acres of land at Pooppani and established their farm, ‘Kandal Theeram’. In 2013, they cleared the property, built protective bunds and constructed three ponds.

Their initial experiment with tiger prawns ended in disappointment. Floodwaters breached the ponds, destroying the entire stock. Yet Sandhya remained undeterred. Prawn farming brought encouraging yields in 2020 and 2021, but the pandemic dealt another setback. It was then that she turned to pearlspot cultivation.

Drawing on the traditional wisdom of local fishermen, she fine-tuned her methods. The farm now sells only fully grown fish that have matured over eight months, with most buyers coming from the local community. Today, the farm produces nearly five tonnes of pearlspot annually. In November 2023, Sandhya was honoured with the ‘Best Marine Fish Farmer’ award by the National Fisheries Development Board under the Union Government.

The farm later drew wider attention when it was chosen as a shooting location for the Malayalam film 'Ponman'. The accommodation and meals arranged for the film crew at the farm gradually evolved into a homestay venture. With freshly harvested fish served on site, the farm’s income more than doubled.

Adding to the farm’s appeal are nearly 200 coconut trees heavy with fruit lining the bunds. The trees cultivated here belong to the Malaysian dwarf variety, known for their high yield.

Sandhya also receives wholehearted support from her sons, Dr S Jishnu and Dr S Krishnanunni, in her farming venture.

Sandhya will lead a session on `New possibilities in agriculture' at 10 am on February 12 at the Manorama Karshakasree Fair, to be held at Ashramam Ground in Kollam.