Kerala Backwaters near Kumarakom
The Keralan backwaters are a network of brackish lagoons and lakes interconnected by a series of canals and rivers just inland from the Arabian Sea in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
For hundreds of years the backwaters have been a means of transportation to and from small villages, supporting the prevalent fishing industry along and providing means to transport locally grown products and spices to the regional port of Cochin (now Kochi). The backwaters continues to support a unique ecosystem of fish, freshwater crustaceans, amphibians and waterfowl such as the famous blue Kingfisher.
Unsurprisingly, the unregulated surge of motorized transport on the waterways have raised ecological concerns of pollution from diesel engines, and outboard propellors disturbing the fragile ecosystem. Lately, the backwaters have become a major tourist destination as well with many operators taking groups through the canals with varying degrees of sensitivity for the backwaters themselves and the local people who continue to live here.
Kerala Backwaters near Kumarakom
The Keralan backwaters are a network of brackish lagoons and lakes interconnected by a series of canals and rivers just inland from the Arabian Sea in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
For hundreds of years the backwaters have been a means of transportation to and from small villages, supporting the prevalent fishing industry along and providing means to transport locally grown products and spices to the regional port of Cochin (now Kochi). The backwaters continues to support a unique ecosystem of fish, freshwater crustaceans, amphibians and waterfowl such as the famous blue Kingfisher.
Unsurprisingly, the unregulated surge of motorized transport on the waterways have raised ecological concerns of pollution from diesel engines, and outboard propellors disturbing the fragile ecosystem. Lately, the backwaters have become a major tourist destination as well with many operators taking groups through the canals with varying degrees of sensitivity for the backwaters themselves and the local people who continue to live here.