GATEWAY to a new experience announces a board at the entrance to the Muttukadu boathouse, about 35 km from Chennai on the way to Mamallapuram. The Muttukadu boathouse, which was opened in 1984 with seven boats, has seen a remarkable transformation. Attention to detail is evident everywhere in the eco-friendly buildings with bamboo-plaited roofs; the cafeteria; and on the stone benches on the lake front. What is more, there is a strong emphasis on safety.
The Thekkady [Kerala] boat capsize [on September 30] has not affected us. Since 1984, not a single casualty has occurred thanks to our emphasis on safety. Besides, the depth of the lake is only between three feet and six feet, said Samson Kanagaraj, the boathouse manager.
The Muttukadu lake, with a waterspread of 235 acres, is a commingling of the backwaters of the Bay of Bengal and the Buckingham Canal. It is today one of the star attractions on the East Coast Road, offering rides on a variety of boats, including imported water-scooters and speedboats. On Saturdays and Sundays, between 3,000 and 5,000 tourists visit the lake.
An added attraction is the flock of pelicans that nest from October to February on the thorny trees growing in the lake.
That there is a premium on safety is evident in the boathouse. Those going for rides should wear life jackets. There are lifebuoys on every boat. There is a separate rescue boat with a driver and a lifeguard. Tourists cannot drive the water-scooters. There is a driver, and two tourists can go with him, said S. Baskar, a motorboat driver. The motorboats were designed by the Department of Ocean Technology of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras.
The boathouse run by the TTDC at Mudaliarkuppam, about 55 km from Muttukadu, on the way to Puducherry, is also a big draw. Besides the rides, the spotlessly clean beach island here is a hit with weekend revellers. They are not allowed to drink hard liquor or litter the place.
Said C. Krishnamoorthy, the boathouse manager: On the one side is the Bay of Bengal. On the other is the Buckingham Canal. The beach is clean. The air is pure. There is silence everywhere. What more can one ask for?
There is emphasis on safety, too. We check the life jackets every day. If anybody refuses to wear the life jacket, we dont allow him/her to get into the boat. We instead refund the money for the ticket, he said.
T.S. Subramanian
