All arrangements are in place for the 68th edition of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR) on Punnamada Lake on Sunday. It will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at 2 p.m. The NTBR will also be the first race of the second edition of the Champions Boat League (CBL).
As many as 77 boats including 20 chundan vallams (snakeboats) will participate under nine categories in this year's race. While competitions of small boats will begin at 11 a.m., the snakeboat race is scheduled to start after the inauguration. There are five heats lined up in the snakeboat competition. The top four boats, based on timings recorded in heats, will battle it out in the final for the famed Nehru trophy at 4 p.m. Nine top boats in heats will qualify for the next year's CBL.
Besides snakeboat race, competitions will be under Churulan; Iruttu Kuthi ‘A’; Iruttu Kuthi ‘B’; Iruttu Kuthi ‘C’; Veppu ‘A’; Veppu ‘B’; Thekkanodi Thara; and Thekkanodi Kettu categories.
Officials of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race Society (NTBRS), the organisers of the event, said that modern starting and photo-finish systems would be used in the regatta.
The NTBRS has made elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of the event. Medical teams with ambulances will be deployed at Starting Point, Finishing Point among other places. The green protocol will be implemented strictly, officials said.
The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation will operate special bus services from neighbouring districts to Alappuzha and back on Sunday.
Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in Alappuzha in view of the event. Around 2,000 police and traffic personnel will be deployed. The entire Punnamada and nearby areas have been brought under CCTV surveillance. Police personnel will be deployed in 50 boats in the lake. Traffic will be restricted in Alappuzha town from Sunday morning.
