A study by the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM), Kozhikode, has revealed that houseboat operations in Vembanad Lake have significantly exceeded sustainable carrying capacity limits, with the number of registered boats nearly 200% above permissible levels.
The report, titled A Study on the Recreational Carrying Capacity of Vembanad Lake for Sustainable Tourism, submitted to the State Wetland Authority Kerala (SWAK) notes that instead of the intended density of one houseboat per 20 acres, the current situation in Vembanad Lake is closer to less than 10 acres per houseboat. “Overcrowding exerts significant ecological stress on the system, making the situation clearly unsustainable,” the report observes.
Those registered
As part of the study, scientists assessed the Recreational Carrying Capacity (RCC) of houseboats in Vembanad Lake (south of Thanneermukkom barrage), a Ramsar site. As per the RCC, only 461 houseboats are permissible in the area at a time. However, Port Authority records show that a total of 1,625 boats are registered in Alappuzha and Kottayam, including 821 houseboats. Further, the total number of houseboats counted by the study team through a drone survey in the area was 926. The discrepancy of 105 vessels between the registered and the counted houseboats is “presumed to represent those operating without registration or licenses.”
The report states that the “current unregulated system delivers short-term economic and tourist satisfaction benefits but results in severe environmental degradation.” Noting that operational capacities greatly exceed sustainable thresholds, it suggests reductions of 58–80% across all boat types to restore ecological balance.
Legal restrictions
It calls for legally restricting or regulating the entry of houseboats registered outside the Alappuzha Port Registry. “Only vessels registered under the jurisdiction of the Alappuzha Port Registry and holding valid consent from the Kerala State Pollution Control Board should be permitted to operate within the Vembanad Lake south of the Thannermukkom barrage,” the report suggests. It also recommends that the moratorium on new houseboat registrations under the Alappuzha Port Registry be maintained until houseboat operations in the lake are streamlined as per the RCC recommendations.
The report further reveals that the average passenger utilisation efficiency was 205.2%, indicating that most houseboats were carrying more than double their registered passenger capacity. “A significant 83.5% of vessels were found to exceed their legal limits, reflecting widespread non-compliance with safety norms. The highest recorded violation reached 850%, underscoring critical safety risks within the industry.”
To ensure that houseboat tourism does not contribute to the degradation of wetland ecosystems, the report proposes to establish a “structured, enforceable, and ecologically sound garbage management plan.”
Published – October 24, 2025 05:55 pm IST
