KOTTAYAM:
Calling for a collective effort to transform Kumarakom into a world- class destination, K J Alphonse, Union Minister of State for Tourism, said here today that the government’s aim is to transform Kumarakom into a world class destination collectively with the development of all the panchayats around Vembanad Lake.
“What we have to primarily consider are aspects like connectivity and accommodation. But we also have to look into other aspects such as waste management and night-life entertainment, for which suggestions and opinions have been sought from the stakeholders,” he said.
Speaking at the two-day stakeholder consultation programmeheld to discuss various measures and potential related to comprehensive tourism development projects in Kumarakomthat concluded here today, the Minister also stressed on the importance of maintaining cleanliness in the locality. “We won’t be able to carry out any economic activity in the lake without making it free from rubbish and algae. Cleanliness is something for which the basic responsibility has to be taken up by individuals,” K J Alphonse said.
Speaking at the programme, Suresh Kurup ,MLA, lauded the role of private sector in transforming Kumarakom into a world-class destination. “Kumarakom has made a name as a tourist destination, courtesy of private players. It was only later that the state and central government came forward for its development.” he said.
Urging immediate actionto bring down encroachment around Vembanad Lake, he said, “Kumarakom is famous because of the Vembanad Lake, which is a blessing for us. Unfortunately, frequent encroachments have kept on reducing the spread of the lake. From 38000 hectares, it has come down to 12000 hectares. There are encroachments taking place even now, and it should be brought down immediately for the protection of Kumarakom.”
Suresh Kurup added that Kumarakom stands as an epitome for how tourism can change the standard of living of people. “The standard of living here has changed, and many people have become employed over the time. The successful implementation of Responsible Tourism projects in Kumarakom shows us how the involvement of panchayat could bear fruit,” he added.
“Various developments will be executed in Kumarakom, which is the hallmark of Kerala Tourism, as it is listed among the 12 Iconic Destinations in India by the central government,” Kerala Tourism Secretary, Rani George said.
“Creative suggestions, put forward in the discussion, will be made use for elevating Kumarakom as a global tourist destination. The cooperation and partnership of related people and organization are essential for the overall development of Kumarakom,” she added.
Jose K. Mani, MP, was of the opinion that waste management remained the burning issue hindering tourism development. “We should discuss how we can make our locality plastic-free. This should be the first step in the development of tourism in any destination,” he added.
Pointing out that cleanliness is one of the core factors to focus on in the present tourism industry, Kottayam Distruct Collector, B S Thirumeni, said that Kumarakom and the nearby places should be kept clean. “Even though there are hotels and restroom facilities set up for large scale tourists, the destination fails to provide such facilities to common people who come on one-day visits,” he said.
He added that many such visitors have approached him pointing out the lack of affordable hotels and washroom facilities in Kumarakom. “The reasons raised by the authorities for the lack of such facilities are the scarcity of public land and difficulty to build toilets or washrooms in water locked areas. In order to overcome this, a sewage treatment plan should be set up at Kumarakom,” he opined.
In regard to the plastic waste management at the destination, he said that construction of a plastic shredding unit will help as Clean Kerala has assured to take the shredded plastic waste and pay for it. The shredded plastic can be used to construct roads.
Following Union Minister of State for Tourism’s instruction to take necessary steps to develop Kumarakom bird sanctuary as an iconic international tourist destination, Suman Billa, Joint secretary of Ministry of Tourism and K Rupesh Kumar State mission coordinator for Responsible Tourism Mission conducted inspections on the site.
Kerala’s Tourism Secretary Rani George; Kerala Tourism Additional Director Jafar Malik; Kerala Tourism Joint Director [Ernakulam] Nandakumar; Kerala Tourism Planning Officer, Satheesh V S; Kerala Responsible Tourism Coordinator K Rupesh Kumar; Kottayam Deputy Director, Biju Varghese; Alappuzha Deputy Director Abilash; Kottayam DTPC President Dr Biju Nair; Green Tourism CEO Jiju Jose; Ettumanoor Panchayat President Beena Binu; ArpookaraPanchayat President Anand Panjikaran; Kumarakom Panchayat President A P Salimon; Aymanam Panchayat President A K Aalichan were among the Kerala officials who participatedin the stakeholder consultation programme.
Tourism stakeholders, including tourism entrepreneurs, houseboat owners, resort owners, taxi operators, local self-help groups, hoteliers, NGOs and tourist guides from the region, put forward various suggestions and opinions for the development of Kumarakom. Topics including lack of fish varieties in lake, actions to be taken for a waste-free Vembanad Lake, importance of prioritizing basic developments and road developments popped up during the discussion. Apart from this, waste management, plastic bottle disposal, license, recycling, setting up of a cultural center, purification of Alappuzha- Kumarakom Canal, extension of Kumarakom – Alappuzha route, need for fast boat services, facilitation of transport via lake were also discussed.
The programme was held on the backdrop of Kumarakom being chosen as an ‘Iconic Destination’. A Central delegation led by K J Alphons, Union Minister of State for Tourism, and comprising Rashmi Verma, Union Tourism Secretary; Suman Billa, Tourism Joint Secretary; Sanjay Shreevats, Regional Director (South); Bharti Sharma, Asst. Director General; Senthur Kumaran, Manager, India Tourism, Kochi; Drashana Mali and Niraj Bhan, PMC; held discussions with the tourism stakeholders and people’s representatives in Kumarakom region as part of the programme.
The suggestions will be considered during the formulation of the detailed project report, following which discussions will be held again for further modifications and suggestions.
