HC crackdown grounds houseboats on Vembanad Lake

Houseboats on Vembanad Lake are facing strict enforcement of a Kerala High Court order. Inspection squads have been dispatched to Alappuzha and Kottayam to identify houseboats operating without pollution control systems and valid certification. Directions have been issued for random checks, with non-compliant vessels facing immediate detention. This move aims to crack down on violations in the estimated 1,600 houseboats operating across the two districts' backwaters.