Terming the Malanad-Malabar river cruise project connecting rivers in North Malabar as the largest ever tourism project in northern Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said it will become a milestone in the developmental history of the region.
Inaugurating the project at Parassinikkadavu here on Saturday, the Chief Minister said the project, expected to accelerate tourism development, was the first such initiative in South India. It would conserve and utilise heritage and art and cultural traditions along the banks of the rivers.
The project has been conceived to utilise the tourism potential of rivers, waterbodies, coastal areas, cultural forms and natural resources of Malabar. Tourists would be provided thematic cruise experience featuring uniqueness of each area connected by the project. Themes being highlighted as part of the cruise project were Kalaripayattu martial arts, Pazhassi Raja heritage and spices, Muthappan temple, Malabar cuisine, mangroves, music, handloom and handicrafts, water sports and river bathing, Yakshagana and responsible village, he added.
The rivers and waterbodies connected under the cruise project are the Mayyazhi, Anjarakkandy, Valapattanam, Kuppam, Perumba, Kavvayi rivers in Kannur, Tejaswini and Chandragiri rivers and Valiyaparamba backwaters in Kasaragod.
Mr. Vijayan announced that air-conditioned houseboats modelled on Muziris heritage would be arranged for tourists. Stating that the project would be totally environment-friendly, he said it would give a new lease of life to handloom, toddy tapping, fisheries, paddy cultivation, pottery-making sectors in the region. Theyyam, Oppana, Poorakkali, Kolkali and Yakshagana cultural forms would get an impetus by the project, he said.
₹325 -crore project
The estimated cost of the project was ₹325 crore, he said adding that the Central government had promised to grant ₹100 crore under the Swadeshi Darshan scheme. The first phase of the project would cover the Valapattanam, Kuppam and Parassinikkadavu, he said.
Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran presided over the function.
