Arookutty houseboat terminal in Alappuzha, built 5 years ago, finally set to become operational

The long-pending houseboat terminal at Arookutty in Alappuzha district of Kerala is finally set to become operational, with renovation and facility works now under way.

Constructed five years ago at the old boat jetty under the district’s Mega Tourism Circuit project, the terminal was built at a cost of around ₹1.5 crore by the Tourism department and the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC). Though the main structure had been completed, the absence of supporting facilities and repeated failure to find contractors left the terminal unused for years.

Following a fresh round of tenders, contractors have now been appointed and the DTPC has issued work orders to complete the remaining tasks. Renovation of the building, flooring, painting, and installation of surveillance cameras are in progress. Additional facilities, including restrooms, drinking water, shops, lighting, and houseboat-related services, are expected to be ready in the coming weeks. The terminal will be able to berth up to four houseboats at a time.

The State Water Transport Department’s Panavally-Ernakulam passenger boat service, which already stops at the jetty, will also add to the terminal’s utility.

Periyar memorial

Adding to the area’s significance, the Tamil Nadu government has begun constructing a memorial for social reformer Periyar E.V. Ramasamy, remembered as one of the prominent leaders of the Vaikom Satyagraha.

Earlier, the Kerala government allotted half an acre of land to Tamil Nadu near the boat jetty for the memorial.

The 1,141-sq.ft. memorial, designed in the model of a jail, will feature a statue of Periyar, a museum, a hall, a park, a garden, and other tourism-related projects. The Tamil Nadu government has earmarked ₹4 crore for the project.

Periyar spent a month in the Arookutty jail, which was then part of the princely state of erstwhile Travancore, after his arrest on May 21, 1924, during the Vaikom Satyagraha (March 1924-November 1925), a major social reform movement. The remnants of the jail still exist at the site where the memorial is being built.