Cherthala - Inland Waterway

Inland Waterway

Cherthala lies between the Kottapuram-Kollam National Waterway 3 passing through the Vembanad lake. Prior to the coming of NH 47 the cargo and freight from Cochin market was transported in country boats through the Vembanad lake via the small lake diverting from Arukutty-Thycattuserry-Vayalar. Now these country boats are no more used for cargo transportation, instead converted into tourist floating houseboats. We can still find the canal running across the center of the town which was once busiest waterway. We can reach Vaikom by the Tavankadav-Vaikom ferry service covering approx 3.5 km across the Vembanad lake and joining the Kottayam district at Vaikom jetty. There are small inland waterways or rivers, which flow across the villages, still navigable through county boats. They transport coir, marine products, vegetables, paddy, sand, construction materials etc. where roads are inaccessible. Majority of these inland rivers flow from Vembanad Lake on the eastern side and merge into the azhi or sea near Anthakaranazhi on the west coast, crossing the NH 47 at different places.