Tourists prefer sipping toddy while cruising on backwaters
Foreign tourists enjoying a sip of toddy (Photo: DC/ File)
ALAPPUZHA: The widespread sale of illicit toddy across Alappuzha has scuttled the plan of houseboat owners to include toddy in their package to attract tourists.
The excise department suspended the licences of five toddy shops last month after a test found the presence of chloral hydrate in the toddy.
Houseboat owner Tomy J. Pulaikkattil said that their boats had been instructed not to visit toddy shops along with guests due to the sale of illicit toddy. “The tourists, especially foreigners, have shown interest in sipping toddy while cruising. But illicit toddy sale has made it a risky affair now,” he said.
Mr Suresh Richard, excise deputy commissioner, Alappuzha, said that the department had alerted all regional offices about the illicit toddy sale.
All-Kerala House Owners Association (AKHOA) general secretary N. Sreekumar said the government should popularise Neera in the houseboat sector to prevent the flow of illicit toddy.
According to toddy shop owners in the Punnamada area, an average of 700 litres of toddy was being sold daily during the previous seasons. There are 15 toddy shops on the banks of Punnamada lake, but houseboats seldom visit them now.
Mr J. Jinu, owner of Cherukayal toddy shop at Punnamada, says tourists are avoiding toddy shops and the sale of toddy to houseboats has come down.
( Source : dc )
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