The Hindu Business Line : Houseboat operators in dire straits

“Normally we used to get 150 nights a year during the season stretching from October to March, but it is estimated to be 90 nights during the current season,” Mr V.C. Zachariah, President, Kerala Houseboat Operators Association, told Business Line.

Given the investment and establishment cost, there should be at least 130 night stays a year to break even, he said.

While the major operators get the business through direct marketing and tie-ups with major hotels and tour operators in the country and overseas, those having one or two boats will have to depend on the big operators for the spillover, Mr M.P. Shaji, a small operator said.

There is tough competition, of late, among the small operators as many players have entered the scene, and that in turn has resulted in lowering of rates. It is also reflected on the services offered to the guests.

A large number of intermediaries/ agents and trade union activists also play a role, another small operator with a single boat said.

According to small operators, north Indian couples used to be their main guests and in the current season their arrival has dropped significantly.

There are 460 houseboats operating in the backwaters of Kerala and a majority of them are based at Punnamada in Alappuzha and the rest in Kumarakom (Kottayam) and Kollam. Most of the boats have double rooms with all modern amenities.

“When the demand is for single rooms, we have no option but to let it out at single room tariff. Arrival of groups has also been limited so far, except for day cruise,” an operator said. According to Mr Zachariah, a majority of the domestic guests are from Gujarat and Bengaluru. Major operators have fixed rates for single and double AC rooms and their guests are brought in by tour operators.

Single AC room tariff is Rs 6,000 a night while that for double rooms comes to Rs 12,000 a night, which includes traditional Kerala food. No liquor is served onboard, though there is no restriction on guests bringing it and consuming onboard.

Each boat is manned by a three-member crew, including a cook. All the houseboats, he said, are fitted with four-stroke inboard engines. The cost of building a single room houseboat with moderate furnishings comes to Rs 25 lakh now. Besides, the annual maintenance is estimated at Rs 1 lakh. Maintenance of the hull is done once in four years, Mr Zachariah said.

The crew members are paid even during the lean season at Rs 3,500 a month. However, some of the crew members told Business Line that they have to remain off the job for four to six months a year and during this period they were not paid any salary.

“If there were full work during the peak season, then we would be able to make some saving for the lean season. But, during the current season there wasn’t enough number of cruise,” they said.

“We have to obtain two certificates on pollution, fitness and canal licence. These have to be renewed half-yearly. The pollution certificate could not be renewed in the absence of a sewage treatment plant at the Punnamada landing for which land has been bought and funds have been sanctioned. But, the construction has not started for reasons known only to the Tourism department”, they said. They are in fact, operating without the valid certificate from the Pollution Control Board but with the other two, boat owners said. Official sources said the tourism department is looking into these issues and a decision is expected soon.

The area and facilities at the landing point is inadequate and as a result the houseboats are docked one behind the other making the tourists cross through one boat to the other. The road leading to the landing is also narrow. There is no proper parking space for vehicles, thus goes the list of discrepancies.

Mr Zachariah said that the Association has been repeatedly requesting the government to get all these facilities created and developed but nothing of the sort has happened so far.

“We pay Rs3,000 a year to the Pollution Control Board and about Rs15,000 to 25,000 as Luxury tax and in addition service tax at 12.3 per cent and yet these facilities have not been provided”, he said.

About the alleged pollution of the lake from the operation of houseboats, he said, the boats are fitted bio-toilet tanks and hence no wastes are discharged into the Lake. These wastes are shifted in to a sewage tank built onshore by the owners and those having no such a facility share it with others.

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