Gliding over the serene and magical waters of the Vembanad lake, one of the largest in India and spanning several districts in Kerala, which over the years has become a hot favourite destination for both international and domestic tourists, the houseboat takes me across vast stretches of paddy fields, thick lush greenery that attracts a plethora of cormorants, sea gulls and paddy birds. Across the shimmering waters there are different kinds of boats – from docked and moving large houseboats to racing canoes and small boats.

A gentle breeze seduces the senses, but suddenly the tranquillity of the blue waters and the sky and the gorgeous greenery is shattered by the irritating hooting of a horn… it’s a houseboat navigator protesting against a small boat refusing to make way for the bigger one. My boatman Bahulanandan shakes his head disapprovingly as he expertly navigates the large vessel now entering a narrow passageway. After all this majestic lake is home to many rivers and canals emptying their waters into its vast expanse. The trance is also broken by the beautiful blue and green environs having in their midst garish pink and green houses. The vastu compulsion… of course.

Karimeen plus

The heavenly fragrance of some delectable fresh food being cooked in the kitchen wafts across to the sitting area and soon the cook, Unnikrishnan, announces that lunch is ready. The kitchen has a gas stove and the lake has plentiful supplies of karimeen (pearl spot), prawns, lobsters. What more can a cook ask for?

Forget the karimeen, which you expect to be delicious anyway in Kerala, particularly as it is the catch of the hour and cooked fresh, even the karela or bittergourd, sliced fine and deep fried tastes great… and sweet. Unni is more than forthcoming with the recipe of both the fish and the vegetable. The karela is prepared with finely chopped onion, green chillies, garlic and ginger and garnished with tiny pieces of fresh coconut and kari patta. The trick is to marinate the sliced karela for two hours in half a glass of vinegar before frying it. “The vinegar takes away the bitterness, makes it sweet and adds to the taste,” he grins.

The karimeen too has been marinated in vinegar – just for 30 minutes – along with chilly powder, turmeric, and “a little bit of meat masala”, and then shallow fried. Add to this a simple salad, Kerala rice, sambar, rasam and fried papad, and the magic is complete.

As the houseboat navigates through canalways lined with houses where women are washing clothes and vessels, you naturally wonder at the resultant pollution. But then surely the local residents have a natural and first right to the place they were born in than well-heeled tourists?

Kerala Tourism Secretary Suman Billa agrees. “They’ve been following this lifestyle for decades so it would be difficult for us to say one fine morning you can’t do it. This will have to be done through a process of education and encouragement”.

Anyway, this isn’t a major polluting activity, he says. “We’re more concerned about the disposal of garbage, the polythene bags, the siltage and so on.” So in most tourist destinations Kerala Tourism has started biogas plants in each house to utilise the bio-degradable garbage, and many households thus generate their own cooking gas.

Responsible tourism

But more striking is the “responsible tourism” initiative at Kumarakom. Started in 2008, the project focuses on economic, social and environmental areas. Project co-ordinator K. Rupesh Kumar says to supplement their income, local families are helped by the Tourism department to start homestead farms to grow fruits, vegetable flowers, or make paper and cloth bags and other products.

With 18 hotels and resorts in Kumarakom on board, over 1,500 local families managed to get extra income of Rs 1.42 crore this year, against Rs 88 lakh last year.

There were compelling reasons to promote such ventures, as the tourism industry had earlier faced challenges and animosity from the local community. But now with the handicraft units supplying these hotels, and local artists giving cultural performances to their guests, harmonious relations exist between the community and the industry.

Add to this packages (Rs 2,500 for a couple) such as village life experience, where guests can visit local farms and enjoy coconut tree climbing, coir making, net fishing, etc, and additional money is flowing into these homes.

I visit a restaurant operated by local women where freshly made traditional meals are served. Saudamani, the chief of the group, is leading her team and serving lunch to the 50-odd diners in the spacious restaurant the tourism department has given them for a nominal rent of Rs 500. A veg meal with rice, sambar, vegetables, costs a mere Rs 40; one including fish or chicken is priced at Rs 150. “Tomorrow we have an order for a group of 78 people and they want karimeen, so we’re going to be busy,” she smiles. The group members take a salary of Rs 7,500 and a bonus of Rs 2,000 for festivals like Onam.

A B.Com graduate, she speaks fluently in English and her body language exudes confidence. Her husband is an auto driver and their only daughter studies in class 7 in an English medium school.

Near the restaurant two friends - Supriya Devasam and Kunjumol - run a shop selling vegetables and fruits grown in their kitchen gardens. There is snake gourd, bitter gourd, ginger, tapioca, chillies, yam, mango and banana. “Big hotels like the Taj buy from us,” Supriya says proudly; the sales total around Rs 1 lakh a month and with a profit of Rs 15,000 she earns more than her husband, a taxi driver with an income of Rs 12,000.

Under the Kudambashree scheme the Tourism department gave them a seed capital of Rs 50,000, which they have repaid in the last three years. “Growing vegetables is not easy, the water is limited too, but we work hard and are very happy,” she beams.

The writer was in Kumarakom on an invitation from Kerala Tourism .

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