Row over fee for waterlily festival

Following criticism, visitors have been exempted from fee during weekdays

Even as people continue to throng the polder banks of Malarikkal to view the waterlily flowers in full bloom, the tourism festival organised in connection with the annual season appears to have run into rough weather following protests over the imposition of fee for visitors. The event, which took off on August 14, stipulates a fee of ₹30 per head for entering the Malarikkal village, venue of the festival, besides a parking fee of ₹50 The organisers have also imposed a fee of ₹500 and ₹1,000 for wedding and commercial shoots at the flowering locations . The move, however, drew criticism from a section of visitors, who have launched an online campaign questioning the rationale behind the imposition of fee for a mere wayside view of flowers. Criticisms are also being levelled against the fee of ₹100, set per head for a boat ride among these flowers, by comparing it with the cost of a boat cruise along the Vembanad lake.