Alappuzha gears up for 71st edition of Nehru Trophy Boat Race

Alappuzha: With the 71st Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR) scheduled to be held in this central Kerala district on August 30, all preparations have been completed, said the district administration and organisers on Friday.

The NTBR, an annual spectacle with a wide fan following across the state, will take place at Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha.

According to organisers, as many as 71 boats will participate in the regatta this year. These include 21 Chundan Vallams (snake boats), 37 Iruttukuthy boats competing in three categories, three Churulan boats, eight Veppu boats, and one each of Thekkanodi Thara and Tekkanodi Kettu boats.

The inaugural ceremony will take place at 2 pm, while the races for smaller boats will begin at 11 am.

The snake boat race, the main event of NTBR, will be held in six heats: four boats each in the first four groups, three in the fifth group, and two in the sixth group.

The four boats with the best finishing times will be selected for the final, said organisers.

According to them, a new time-lapse recording system, capable of capturing millisecond differences in finishing times, has been introduced this year.

The installation of temporary spectator galleries has been completed, and the maintenance of the pavilion has also been finalised.

Authorities have conducted inspections to ensure the safety of visitors.

Entry to the galleries will be permitted only to those holding valid passes. Special hologram-stamped tickets prepared by C-DIT will be issued for the event, organisers said.

The district administration has declared a holiday in Alappuzha in connection with the race.

Police have prohibited unauthorised parking on roadsides in Alappuzha city.

Additional services will be operated by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), officials said.

Police have also deployed additional personnel to ensure the safety of the large number of tourists expected to arrive in Alappuzha to witness the race.

Drone flying over the venue has been prohibited, and patrolling will be conducted to prevent speedboats from entering the race track during the event, police said.