Coronavirus | Lockdown spells doom for houseboat sector

The houseboat operations were among the first to come to a grinding halt after the pandemic started to sweep the world in early 2020. The vessels remained anchored for more than six months before resuming operations in October 2020.

The Punnamada Lake looks still and serene. There is no jostling of vessels or chugging sound of engines. In the interior, the palm-fringed backwaters wear a deserted look amidst an uninspiring quietude. This calmness comes at a price. The Statewide lockdown to tackle the spread of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has put the houseboat sector in the doldrums. The backwater tourism sector as a whole has faced several major setbacks in recent times in the form of Cyclone Ockhi, the Nipah outbreak, and back-to-back floods. The houseboat operations were among the first to come to a grinding halt after the pandemic started to sweep the world in early 2020. The vessels remained anchored for more than six months before resuming operations in October 2020.