These Kerala women make environmentally destructive water hyacinths into income ideas

Something that chokes aquatic life, breeds mosquitoes and impacts inland tourism has turned into beautiful home decor items at the hands of women working under both participatory and public-private partnership models Thrissur/Alappuzha: The workstation of Kottappuram Integrated Development Society (KIDS) in Thrissur district of Kerala is a mess of plastic wires at a glance. On a closer look, it becomes evident that the women here are dealing with dried water hyacinths and palm leaves. These women from the town bordering Ernakulam district have been earning a livelihood by making home decor items from eco-friendly raw materials.Launched in 1987, KIDS has been creating products from palm leaves and screw pines by weaving and using looms. The traditional knowledge of processing innovative products reached its helm when the women workers explored the hidden potential of water hyacinths in 2005. They were the first in India to introduce a loom system for creating products from dried hyacinth stems.“Technology has brought about changes, but sound knowledge of traditional practices is our core strength. Around 600 women reap benefits by collecting, cleaning, drying, or making products from screw pines, palm leaves and water hyacinths. Of them, 150 exclusively deal with hyacinths. All are members of local Kudumbashree units,” said Fr Paul Thomas Kalathil, Executive Director, KIDS. When they get several orders at a time, they double the workforce by temporarily employing  women from neighbhouring villages, thus transforming the stems into ladies’ handbags and purses, file folders, tissue paper boxes, table and flower pots, table and floor mats, and small baskets.Vimala Jose (60) from Kara in Thrissur district, has been associated with KIDS for the last 22 years. “In the initial stages, we faced challenges in collection and drying of stems, and the dyeing process. However, traditional knowledge and expert training guided us... Even during COVID-19 period, we did not face shortage of orders," Jose told 101Reporters.According to Jose, they have four action groups. The first one based in villages will collect hyacinths from water bodies, segregate stems and forward it for drying. The second group involves in dyeing the stems with various natural colour variants, while the third convert them into flexible materials using looms. The fourth group makes finished products. There is a fifth group taking up sales initiatives at pavilions and exhibitions.  KIDS has an e-commerce website and permanent sales pavilions, one of which is at Muziris Heritage Town, a few km from Kottappuram. Even for setting up sales pavilions and field activities, KIDS sticks to a community–participation approach. (Above) water hyacinths collected and ready for transportation (below) dried stems of water hyacinths (Photo - Jaijith James, 101Reporters)PPP modelNeelamperoor panchayat in Alappuzha district has a public-private partnership (PPP) model for water hyacinths with Rope Enterprises Private Limited, a Madurai-based startup. Initially, Rope Enterprises collected hyacinths from Kainakary through local workers/contractors, but the strategy did not work well. They connected with Haritha Kerala Mission (HKM) through contacts, which paved the way for hyacinth collection from Alappuzha municipal area in early 2022. As Rope Enterprises needed large quantities, HKM connected the company with Neelamperoor panchayat by year-end. Rope Enterprises collects hyacinths based on their requirement, mostly in every three to four months.  "Nearly 300 women, including Kudumbashree members and MGNREGA workers, got substantial benefits. The full amount goes to them, the panchayat does not claim any of it,” Neelamperoor village panchayat president TK Thankachan told 101Reporters. Now, more panchayats have approached HKM for similar revenue-generating projects.  “We will expand to more panchayats, but nothing has been finalised yet,” said Sreejith Nedumpally, co-founder and managing director of Rope Enterprises, which pays Rs 10 per kg for dried hyacinth stems and Rs 7 for fresh ones. “Earlier also, we got enquiries for small quantities and we supported them. Prior to Neelamperoor, PPP was implemented in the canals of Alappuzha municipal area,” T N Seema, a former Rajya Sabha member and HKM state coordinator, told 101Reporters.The biggest challenge is to dry up the hyacinths in monsoons as the rainy season lasts for several months in Kerala. Unlike in Alappuzha, Neelamperoor does not have a ground where they can dry it. On many occasions, the buyer is forced to collect fresh hyacinths (90% water) for a high price. “We prefer dried stems,” said Nedumpally. Rope Enterprises employs over 300 women in its Tamil Nadu unit.Panchayat president inaugurating the hyacinths collection process under the PPP initiative (Photo - Jaijith James, 101Reporters)A double-edged sword Water hyacinths may have brightened up the lives of several women in both states, but its ill effects on the environment cannot be disregarded. Every year, Irrigation Department and local bodies in Kerala spend substantial amounts to remove hyacinths, a hazardous waste that severely damages the quality of water bodies. Earlier, when a majority of the rural population was engaged in agriculture, people used to clear it regularly. With the changing times, hyacinth has been gobbling up water bodies so much so that they affect agriculture, fishing, inland navigation and tourism. Mosquitoes breed in them, increasing the risk of malaria and dengue fever.A leading tour operator in Changanassery town, Sabu Thomas (55) said hyacinths impeded the natural flow of excess water during rains, triggering flash floods. “Aquatic weeds have a fast growth rate and multiple modes of reproduction channels. With their thick-hard roots connected to each other, they can divert the flow, especially in small canals,” observed K Omanakuttan (50), a duck farmer from Nedumudi.Water hyacinths in large quantities even block sunlight and oxygen, choking fish habitations and affecting local breeds. For clearing purposes, JCB earthmovers have to be employed. “Kulavazha [Eichhornia crassipes] and Kadakal [a local breed that is like a secondary growth on hyacinths] are nightmares of boat drivers. Sometimes they get tangled on the propellers, and boatmen have to dive in to clear it out,” he added.“Some customers prefer to go to interior villages to explore the inland waterways and life. With the routes cleared now, country boat rides to those scenic villages are possible,” attested Thomas. Seema claimed the initiative helped local panchayats to save some funds that were supposed to be spend on clearing hyacinths. However, one may wonder if it is a permanent solution as water hyacinths should grow back if the women have to benefit. In addition, the fact remains that it is not possible to remove the highly invasive species fully even using JCBs. There have been several instances across Kerala where the plant was removed only to see it grow back in no time.  Checking out some historical facts may help understand its harmful trait. Water hyacinths presumably arrived from the Southeast Asian countries and initially floated in the rivers and lakes of Bengal region, as Lady Warren Hastings, the wife of Warren Hastings, the first British Governor General of Bengal, had a special fondness for its violet and white flowers. But it soon invaded the water bodies across the country. Maybe due to its ability to trigger regional floods, it earned the sobriquet ‘Bengal Terror’.Products made out of water hyacinths (Photo - Jaijith James, 101Reporters)An uptick in innovationThis November, the Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal asked the Department of Environment to submit a detailed report on the plans to check the menace of water hyacinths that have spread out in several water bodies across the state. Besides the government-backed projects are other new models of utilising hyacinths. Two years ago, SP Sujith Swami Nikarthil, a farmer in his 30s from Alappuzha district, came up with a unique way. “In Vembanad Lake, just a few hundred meters from Kannankara Boat Jetty, a floating waterbed was created with five tonnes of hyacinths piled up together in a 10 x 6 m area. The water-intensive bandi [marigold category] was planted on it,” Nikarthil, who has a huge fan following on his social media page Variety Farmer, told 101Reporters.The result of the model was astonishing as bandi flowers bloomed in a couple of weeks. The platform can be used for cultivation three to four times and subsequently can serve as a biofertiliser. “The garden attracts tourists, wedding photographers and agricultural enthusiasts, which indirectly benefits local traders,” said Vimal Kumar (46), a Kannankara native.Nikarthil said the model could be replicated in the households of every backwater village to cultivate select local varieties such as cheera (spinach). Besides individual efforts, there are team efforts as witnessed at EichhoTech, a student startup incubated at the Sanathana Dharma (SD) College, Alappuzha, exclusively for strengthening the research and development aspects of water hyacinths. “All components and elements of water hyacinths such as leaves, stalks, roots, stems and flowers are useful,” Dr G Nagendra Prabhu, Principal Investigator, Centre for Research on Aquatic Resources (CRAR), and Head of Department of Zoology at SD College.Drawing from his 25 years of experience, he serves as the mentor for the five-member EichhoTech team. The CRAR developed the technologies for utilising water hyacinths through decades of research. EichhoTech fine-tuned some of them to make consumer market-oriented products and customised gifts. The team discerned that hyacinths could be useful to make handicrafts, natural dye for drawing canvas, disposable plates and glasses, coasters, nursery pots, pen stands, partition boards, file boards, sculptures/statues, writing pad, handbook, table calendar, wedding invitation, greeting cards, puppets, Christmas cribs, bookmarks, eco-friendly rakhis, lamp shades and mats. Hyacinth stalks have a countrywide potential as an organic feed for farm animals and poultry. Multiple colour variants can be generated from their flowers, a potential natural dye for the textile industry. “Along with research, we have been training rural communities, local bodies, NGOs, students and young entrepreneurs,” Anoop Kumar V, founder and CEO, EichhoTech, told 101Reporters.Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) wings of major corporates could play a role in boosting the market presence of water hyacinth products. “CSR arms of Wipro and Hyundai Motor India support our activities,” said Fr Kalathil. Anoop said they also got enquiries, but nothing has materialised so far. Nevertheless, decision makers are a little hesitant to act. “We held several rounds of discussion regarding production units, but it is not feasible at present. The government bodies/agencies have limitations in taking up projects that require huge infrastructure and large number of regular employees. At present, we prefer to support buyers,” Seema affirmed.If more funds from Central initiatives such as Make In India and Atmanirbhar Bharat are allocated, it would strengthen the stakeholders' efforts. The initiative can then bloom into a successful business model as seen in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. Once coir industry played a significant role in rural Kerala’s commercial landscape. Water hyacinths, if utilised productively, could emerge as another prominent commercial activity.Edited by Rekha PulinnoliCover Photo - A woman worker making floor mats out of water hyacinths (Photo - Jaijith James, 101Reporters)

How too much professionalism made Kerala’s famed snake boat races a costly affair

Unlike earlier days when a sumptuous lunch hosted by village families could get the rowers to work, training sessions lasting for months together and costing a bomb are now just enough to keep the loyalties intact        Alappuzha, Kerala: “Those were the days!” Like a skilled oarsman slicing his way through the famed waters of Punnamada Lake, Joji Philip slides effusively into a rewind of the period leading up to the Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR).   “In my youth, meeting the oarsmen of chundan vallams (snake boats) was the high point of the weeks preceding the race. The entire kara (village) would deck up to welcome the rowers. There was no system of daily allowance for participants then. But a sumptuous non-vegetarian lunch would be prepared in their honour every day,” reminisces Philip (42), who hails from Pulinkunnu village in Alappuzha district.A much sought-after destination on Kerala’s tourism map, Alappuzha hosts the Nehru Trophy Boat Race on the second Saturday of August every year. The regatta was not held for two years due to COVID-19 restrictions. It resumed this year, albeit on September 4. Twenty snake boats participated in the 68th edition, with Mahadevikadu Kattil Thekkethil Chundan rowed by Pallathuruthy Boat Club winning the coveted trophy and a cash prize of Rs 9 lakh. The NTBR is the first race of the Champions Boat League (CBL), a Kerala Tourism venture modelled after the Indian Premier League to showcase the rich tradition of the land. In its second edition since 2019, the CBL’s next 11 rounds are on consecutive Saturdays starting September 17.Besides Alappuzha, waterbodies in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kottayam and Kollam districts will host the CBL-2, which concludes with the President’s Trophy Boat Race in the picturesque Ashtamudi Lake in Kollam on November 26.The grandeur of the snake boat festival in Kerala is crystal clear (Photos: Jaijith James)The CBL revolutionised the way races are organised, with prize money shooting up to above Rs 1 crore and Star Sports becoming the official broadcast partner. Nine teams with preppy names (for example, Pallathuruthy Boat Club is Tropical Titans in the CBL) will fight it out to become the speed king of the backwaters.    Kara spirit takes a back seat“Till the mid-1990s, the NTBR participants voluntarily came forward to practice, after winding up their day’s work by noon. They never expected anything in return. They only wished their kara should stay ahead in the race. That changed with the introduction of the daily allowance system,” observes Antony Arilchira, a researcher on regional boat races, hailing from Champakulam village in Alappuzha district.The players quickly learnt to break the emotional bond with their respective villages, preferring clubs that were willing to pay more and offer better training.“Too much professionalism dismantled the traditional spirit of the game. Unlike earlier days, boat clubs mostly hire players from other villages, districts or sports forums as physical fitness plays an integral role,” says Valentine Antony, a race enthusiast from Champakulam. On certain occasions, even kayaking and water sports players from other states made it to the NTBR!(Above) Players of Pallathuruthy Boat Club (or Tropical Titans in the Champions Boat League) practice at the training camp. (Below) Nehru's statue at the venue of Nehru Trophy Boat Race organised every August (Photos: Jaijith James)“Money power ultimately decides a team’s strength. The recent victories registered by a few clubs establish this theory,” suggests Valentine, who has never missed an NTBR event in the last 60 years. He endorses the rumour that at least 10 chundan vallams spent over Rs 70 lakh each to prepare for this year’s race. The inevitable change was all the more visible from 2008, when Jesus Boat Club Kollam organised training camps lasting for around 40 days. Rowers received daily allowances, but were barred from exiting the camps. The result was astonishing. They became the champions in their first outing, and repeated the magic next year too. The shocking fact of a new entrant lifting the trophy was an eye-opener for other clubs, which did not think twice to adopt the strategy.“The intention was to make the competition more aggressive with a professional approach and to take the team to the next level,” says Arilchira. However, this trend substantially escalated the budgets of local boat clubs, with training lasting for more than a month nowadays. “Training camps, professional coaches from other states and dieticians —   all sound good. But we still cherish olden memories,” Joji Philip turns nostalgic. “In those days, the regatta helped build a strong bond between the villagers from different backgrounds. By the end of a month, almost all families would have treated the team to a feast. Sometimes, families jointly hosted it. The responsibility kept rotating,” Philip recalls.Ben Boban Velloor, a boat race enthusiast from Kainakary, shares a different view. "People of all faiths stay, train and pray together for a common goal and it teaches them that unity is the biggest strength. That aspect of the race has not changed.”  However, there is no denial that something truly inexpensive in yesteryears has transformed into a money guzzler, to such an extent that the CBL’s prize money may not be sufficient to meet the expenses of premier clubs in this race season.Big money, big aspirationsOver the years, fundraising has become the most prominent aspect of all boat clubs. Participation in the NTBR incurs a cost ranging anywhere between Rs 60 lakh and Rs 1 crore for a reputed club. In most cases, sponsors will not get back even 10% of their investment, but they still pump in money in line with the spirit of the game.  “This year, we raised around Rs 70 lakh for the NTBR. For 35 days, we paid Rs 1,000 for freshers and Rs 1,500 for experienced rowers. We also had to pay support staff and a medical team. Other main expenses included purchase of 200 fresh oars, nutritious food for the team thrice a day, and regular boat maintenance charges. This time, we had over 90 rowers and around 30 support staff. Just calculate how much manpower we deployed in a single day of training," says Vakkachan Theverkkat, who led the prestigious United Boat Club Kainakary for many years."The Nehru Trophy regatta is probably the most expensive rural sports event in the country. I still remember the reaction of a foreign tourist when told about the expenses involved. He was so inspired that he voluntarily came forward to bear the cost of a day’s training,” shares Subhash Abraham Parambil, a tour operator in Alappuzha.Non-resident Indians (NRIs) are the biggest donors of most boat clubs. They yearn to nurture a strong bond with their native villages, and hence lavish money on their favourite clubs or boats. Local fundraising from the public, community leaders and businesspersons happens yearly. A previous win or a spot in the final four immensely increases the fund-raising capacity of the clubs. For Champakulam Boat Club, an active player in the NTBR, things are well defined. They raise funds through the Champakulam Chundan Welfare Association (CCWA), a registered organisation that gets most of its contributions from the NRIs in the US and UK. “UST Global, a multinational technology firm, is our main sponsor," says CCWA president Vipin Bharathan, who adds that they could grab only the fourth spot despite associating with the rowers of the Kerala Police Boat Club.  A majestic tradition Normally, a chundan vallam is 47.5 to 50.5 koles (one kole is equivalent to 24 inches) in length and accommodates around 100 to 115 people. There will be 70-91 thuzhachilukar (rowers), five pankayakkar (rowers with large oars to control direction) at the rear end and 10 to 12 nilakkar (folk singers).The team captain plays a key role in every aspect of the game. Training starts at 6.30 am and ends with trials at sunset. Alcohol and other addictive drugs are prohibited. Before the daily trials, rowers offer prayers at temples and churches. “They follow many age-old rituals practised by their ancestors. This is evident right from the launch of chundan vallams for training to the day of competition.” Vakkachan explains.“Probably, this is the only sporting event in the world where you can see over 400 players compete at once in a km-long track. This is purely a game of ear-hand coordination. Oarsmen are tuned into the claps, bangs, and folklores of nilakkar as it carries some instructions to change the pattern of performance at certain junctures,” Subhash explains.Though chundan vallams are stars of the NTBR, competitions of smaller boats such as veppu vallams, iruttukuthy vallams, odi vallams and company vallams attract huge crowds and participation locally as they involve fewer practice sessions and trials. They make the competition more meaningful.Edited by Rekha PulinnoliThis story is part of our series on Rural Sports where we explore an exciting arena of untraversed stories. The cover image is of Pallathuruthy Boat Club's practice session, as clicked by Jaijith James.