indiavideo's video: Kerala India Backwaters - Traditional Wooden Boat Ride and Bird Watching

The backwaters of Kerala are made up of an intricate network of rivers, streams, lagoons and canals stretching approx. 900 km in total navigable length with water fed from perennial rivers. A few outlets to the Arabian Sea result in brackish water mixing with sweet water to a certain point inland. The salt water is pushed toward the sea by the perennial river flows during the monsoon season while brackish water is more prevalent during the dry season. A barrier was built in one of the lakes to prevent sea water from entering the lower lying farming areas. Unfortunately the ecology of the backwaters has changed lately due to increasing reclamation for agricultural use and man-made alterations in natural water flows. Protective mangrove forests have been destroyed to a large extent and water weeding (eg excessive water hyacinth growth) is more prevalent due to the increased use of agricultural fertilizers and lack of salty sea water. These changes are not immediately visible (except for the overwhelming water hyacinth growth in some of the canals) to an outsider and a hiring an eco-friendly traditional wooden boat (vallam in Malayalam) is probably the best way to enjoy the lush tropical landscape and fascinating birdlife at a leisurely pace without causing any harm to the fragile backwater ecosystem. Music track included in this video: –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Music: Retreat - Jason Farnham https://youtu.be/Sm0yTArTlHs ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––