This last Decemeber, 29th, 2013, Sunday, I started paddleing from Kidangara to Ambalapuzha, around 6AM. This was planned as prep session to make myself ready for Expeidtion NW3, coming a fortnight later. As per the initial plan, I made my left at Kodupunna from the AC Canal(The AC Road came much later!), but got adivce from a household that the route was clogged with hyacinth. These weeds made their way, thanks to global trade during British times and find Kuttanad a great place, thanks to our intervention with nature! This made me padle back to the Alapuzha-Changanacheery canal and head eastward towards Nedumudi. Why would they call this the AC canal, when in reality you can only use it upto Kidangara. Thougths flashed through my mind on why the reminder was not accessible: was it covered with hyachinth? or was it reclaimed by mud bought in by one of the thousand tipper lorries that escape the NGT-National Green Tribunal? Anyway, I kept paddleing on the AC Canal and used each foot over bridge as a target to keep my spirits high, as I compared my speed to the vehicles running along the AC Road. I did my own calculations and found that Changanacherry to Amabalapuzha was around 35Km, by road. My trip using the waterways was only 22Km, saving a13!. Then, why is that the waterways in kerala are not thought about when you see roads clogged all over the place. Why on earth have our waterwasy fell to dis-use or abuse rather. There were garbage piled high on the banks, along the AC road. The shops that were put up on pillons jutting into the canal reminded of the hotels and resorts in uttarakhand that had encroched on Alakanand & Mandakini. I saw people using the waterwasy for thir daily chores, many of them calling their kids to come and have a look at the odd yellow boat(my kayak). Reaching Nedumudi, I turnred left into small canals, heading towards Champakulam. There was a church, in front of which was a large Sunday mass. The canal here was blocked and some pilon was being built, perhaps another foot-over bridge or if kuttanad is unlucky, another Road!. Net effect, man made obstacles and deicsion has slowly driven the nails on kuttanads coffin, as the flow of water is restricted, in small canals and the large lakes, thanks to the never ending hunger for reclaimed land, un-scientifically build bridges and structures like the taneermukkam bunds. Once upon a time, water would ebb-and-flow from 3 points - Taneer mukkam opneing, thotapally and alapuzha beach. All these points are today blocked, making the waterways the largest stagnant water body in kerala, resulting in perhpas, more harm than good. My envy for the people of kuttanad gave way to revulsion thinking of their plight, surrounded by stagnant water. Any way, I took inputs from the locals and made few truns to arrive north of Champakulam, into the main river artery, that is clean and in much better shape compared to the small canals, that criss-cross kuttanad. Being a Sunday, all shops were down and I had seen people walk to Chruch service at many places. I enquired about any place for the morning breakfast, when i was diected to the NSS Karayogam building in Champakulam. The beautiful Champakulam church loomed over the horizon. I wondered, how the place would have been a 100 years back - Lot of rice boats bearthed in the nearby jetty, and less shops for sure on the water front. I was stuck by the Chicken shop near the jetty, that was operating in a rather strange way. The buthcer was hacking chickens(thanks to the Foot and mouth disease) and dumping the offals into the water, from his riverside stall. Fish, may be catfhis of some kind was surely having heavns open for them, with chicken parts falling for free. I felt bad at the sight, but quickly gained my balance for the culture that packs animal offal in plastic bagas and then dumps them all over the place. Me and my firends call this "the smell of gods own country" as you find it all pervasice in the state. The 36Rs. Dosha, Kadalacurry and hot tea, was a blessing compared to the standard food you get in Bangalore or any city for that matter. I paddeled a kilometer or so south, before taking a right to join the other major river canal that would take me to Ambalapuzha. One think is clear, the big canals in Kidangara, Champakulam and Pallathruthy are so clean, perhaps they still had some flow and the water transport boats did shake up the place dislodging the hyachinths. The red and green bouys of the National Waterway 3, were visible and reminded about the expedition that will take me on the same course. I crossed the river light house north of Karumadi and took the shart left, entering the canal that will take me to Amabalapuzha, pretty close the temple. I enquired about the state of navigating the canal and was told, it was full of weeds. Any way, I trried my best and could paddle may be around 2km. of the 4km Canal. I felt bad that it was worse than the trip few years back, when it was navigatable to 3Km. It was 10AM, as I reached the last portion of the canal, before the hayacinth cut me short. Few local kids were helpful to pull the kayak and gudie me on the process of procuring the famous Amabalpuzha paal payasam, that I had promised my family back in Changanacherry. The told me the efforts of V Sudhakaran to clean up the cnanal and how a lady died of snake bite, doing so. Thank god, there is still interest in our politicians to keep the canals clean. I took a bath in the canal before heading to the Sri Krishan temple and corssed the same house, where I had parked the kayak, the last time. The weeds were winning and I was not a kilometer down stream, they have taken over the canal. The waterwasy are a great means of transporation in kuttanad and can cut travel time substaintially. What we need is awarness, only then, will these waterwasy be used and valued, making then an asset beyond tourism.
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