KERALA BLACKWATERS

The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying paral- lel to the Arabian Sea coast (the Malabar Coast) of Kerala state in southern India. The network includes five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade and natural, fed by 38 rivers, and extending virtually half the length of Kerala state. The backwaters were formed by the action of waves and shore cur- rents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flow- ing down from the Western Ghats range.

The daily life along the rivers

The backwaters have a unique ecosystem - freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea. In certain areas, such as the Vem- banad Kayal, where a barrage has been built near Kumarakom, salt water from the sea is prevented from entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes. Many unique species of aquatic life including crabs, frogs and mudskip- pers, water birds such as terns, kingfishers, darters and cormorants, and an- imals such as otters and turtles live in and alongside the backwaters. Palm trees, pandanus shrubs, various leafy plants and bushes grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green hue to the surrounding landscape.