No police vigil; houseboat tourists at receiving end

ALAPPUZHA: Police vigil is lacking for the houseboats operating in the backwaters here and tourists face harassment from the anti-socials. Currently, only two policemen are posted to check the houseboats plying over a 20-km area between  Pallathuruthy and Muhamma.

The government in 2013 had offered to set up  a special police station at Punnamada  with an SI  and ten police personnnel  for patrolling and rescue operations in Kochi, Alappuzha and Kumarakom. But nothing has been done so far.  Illegal activities, including  ganja sale,  are taking place as a result. A police aid post  has been shifted to the beach, about five km from the backwaters. 

“Though there is a police counter at Punnamada,    police officials are deployed only occasionally,” said a source.    The All-Kerala Houseboat Owners Association (AKHOA) has offered support to set up a police station. “We had a discussion with the district police chief in this regard,” said Mr  N. Sreekumar, general secretary, AKHOA.

The District Tourism Promotion Council has been busy with the Rs. 400-crore mega tourism project.  Mr C. Pradeep, secretary, DTPC said that it will ensure  police vigilance in the sector.  “The council has  been giving guidelines and training to all houseboat owners and crew on safety and regulations,”  he said.

In the first week of April,  the north police here had arrested a houseboat employee for misbehaving with an Australian woman tourist.  In a joint operation by the narcotic cell and the excise on March 22, a youth involved in supplying drug to tourists in houseboats was arrested.