The monsoon has left behind destruction and agony, and the residents of Alappuzha are seeking temporary succour in the Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR), scheduled to be held at Punnamada Lake on Saturday.
Governor Sheila Dikshit will be the chief guest at the 62nd edition of ‘Kuttanad’s Olympics on Water.’ The competitions will be launched at a function that will commence at 1.45 p.m. The race will begin by 2.30 p.m. and is scheduled to conclude by 5.30 p.m., says District Collector N. Padmakumar.
There will be 72 boats, including 22 ‘chundan vallams’ (snake-boats), in various categories in the competition. All eyes will be on the Sree Ganesan chundan, which is aiming for a hat-trick.
This year’s edition is being organised amidst financial constraints. The organisers found it difficult to rope in sponsors, yet, managed to raise Rs.1.6 crore. “The State government provided a grant of Rs.20 lakh. But it will be difficult to expect a helping hand next year,” Mr. Padmakumar said.
The NTBR society expects to boost revenue through ticket sales. Measures have been initiated to prevent sales in the black market. While the ticket sales stood at Rs.38 lakh the previous year, the amount is expected to surpass Rs.50 lakh this time.
To prevent disputes at the starting point, the organisers have installed a new device designed with the technical expertise of the Cochin University of Science and Technology. The device, designed by rectifying the problems in the earlier one, can be operated in mechanised and manual modes.
Additional services of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation and the State Water Transport Department have been arranged for the visitors. The District Tourism Promotion Council will ensure the welfare of foreign tourists.The event will be covered live on television by Doordarshan and on radio by All India Radio. The event will be webcast live through the official web portal of the NTBR society (nehrutrophy.nic.in).
