CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION
1.1 INTRODUCTION

Tourism represents one of world‟s largest industries, with nearly 700 million
estimated international visitors‟ arrivals in the year 2000. This phenomenon today has
become a very complex activity, encompassing a wide range of relationships. As the
global economy surges, resulting in improvements in standard of living and
disposable income, coupled with more leisure time, the overall number of touristsis
also expected to grow further. Factors like availability of cheaper and convenient
transport, fewer restrictions on travel, availability of mass of information on various
destinations and newer marketing techniques and the contribution from tourism to
world economy, are expected to enhance the growth of tourism.

Kerala tourism has become a super brand through the „God‟s own country‟
tagline. The National Geographic Traveler, a popular travel and tourism magazine
published by the National Geographic Society of the United States has included
Kerala among the 50 “must see destinations" in the world. Kerala tourism is
witnessing a steady increase in the tourist flow- both domestic and foreign tourists.
7.94 lakh foreign tourists visited Kerala in 2012 as compared to 7.33 lakh in 2011.
Domestic tourist arrivals to Kerala are recorded as 10.1 million in 2012 as compared
to 9.38 million in 2011. The foreign exchange earnings also went up from Rs.
42,219.9 million in 2011 to Rs. 45,480 million in 2012 (Voyagers World, March 12,
2013)

Hydel Tourism is a novel initiative of the Electricity department, Government

of Kerala. Thanks to the initiative of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB),
tourists may go round the hydro electric power plant and water power generators from
vantage points. Hydel reservoirs are important tourist attractions in Kerala. Drawn
from Munnar experience, hydel tourism is promoted in this region since 2000. Kerala
Hydel Tourism Centre (KHTC), a society formed by KSEB is operating this site with
the objectives of harnessing the water based tourism potential, preservation of the
ecology and to provide information and education on hydel tourism.

Wayanad has beautiful hydel tourism sites in Banasura Sagar Lake. Banasura
Sagar Dam is the largest earthen dam in India and the second largest in Asia. The dam
impounds the water of Karamanathode, a tributary of river Kabani. The project

1
includes one dam and a canal operating as a part of Indian Banasura Sagar Project
commissioned in 1979. It supports the Kakkayam electric project and is a source of
supply for irrigation and drinking water to local community during summer. Crystal
clear water in the dam and the small islands formed in the super stream of the dam
when the dam is full, in the background of Banasura Hill make tourists feel they are in
a different place. The reservoir of the dam is spread across 1600 hectors. Speed
boating, pedal boating and Kids land are added attractions created by KHTC.

This project work was carried out on the importance of hydel tourism industry.
The study mainly carried out in Banasura Sagar dam which is the largest earthen dam
in India and second largest in Asia. This study reveals the important prospects and
challenges of hydel tourism.it also highlights that hydel tourism is an important tool to
protect ecology and utilization of water based tourism.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Hydel tourism is the innovative tourism idea powered by KSEB and there are
plans to construct amusement parks at seven hydel-power generating dams including
Banasura Sagar dam. The main objective of the Hydel Tourism centre is to facilitate
the effective utilization of water based tourism potential in the natural surroundings of
hydel projects areas of the state as well as preserve the ecology of the area. As a new
and experimental method of tourism it has to be studied in all the aspects. The scope,
Promotional activities, awareness about this among public and the response of local
people to studied.

1.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This research entitled “Scope Of Hydel Tourism An Overview With Banasura

Sagar Dam”, covers the effect of hydel tourism to be executed at Banasura. 50 visitors
and local peoples are taken for the study. It also covers, what are the scope, what
would be its impacts on both destination and local.

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1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

Primary objective

 Scope of hydel tourism in Banasura Sagar Dam

Secondary objective

 Which are the activities undertaken here to promote hydel tourism.

 To know the role of KSEB.
 To understand the influence of hydel tourism in improving the lifestyle of
local community.

1.5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The research methodology includes procedures and steps for doing research
in a systematic and scientific manner. It deals with research design, sampling
procedure, tool for data collection, structure of questionnaire, data collection, and
statistical techniques for data analysis and limitation of the study.

SELECTION OF STUDY AREA

Wayanad has many out-of-the-ordinary attractions in its kitty and the best
amongst them is the Banasura Sagar Dam. The Banasura dam is recognized as
the largest earthen dam in India and second largest of its kind in Asia. To one's
astonishment, stacks of boulders and stones were used to make this extravagant
dam. So Banasura Sagar dam has been taken for study.

RESEARCH DESIGN
The descriptive research design is chosen for the present study. It is opted to
examine the scope of Hydel Tourism at Banasura Sagar Dam. Hence, the
descriptive research design is applied for the present study.
SAMPLING PROCEDURE
Banasura Sagar Dam is selected for the present study. 50 tourists and local
peoples were selected by using random sampling method. The random sampling
method is used by ways of selection of study area.

3
SOURCE OF DATA
The project has been done in very good manner during the specified period of
study. Methodology adopted for study in visiting at Banasura Sagar Dam and
collecting the required data from the tourists and local peoples.
Primary and secondary data have been used for the study.
1. Primary Data
The data has been collected personally interacting and conversing
with tourists and local peoples.
2. Secondary Data
Data have been collected through the published books and websites
helps toget more information.
TOOL OF DATA COLLECTION
The structured questionnaire is constructed on the basis of previous research
studies, opinions of experts and pilot study.
SIMPLE PERCENTAGE

Percentage can be calculated by dividing the value by the total value, and then
multiplying the result by 100. The formula used to calculate percentage is,

Simple Percentage = Number of respondents x 100

Total Number of respondents

1.6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

1. This is subjected to the bias of respondents. 100% accuracy cannot
beassured.
2. Within a short span of time, it was very difficult to get all information.
3. Collection of data was difficult in this pandemic situation
4. The demerits and limits of the field level survey are highly
applicable to the present research

4
1.7 CHAPTER SCHEME

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION

This chapter consists of introduction, , scope of the study, statement of the

problem, objectives of the study, , research methodology and limitations of the
study.

CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE

The second chapter contains the survey of available literature pertaining of the
study.

Chapter III: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY

This chapter contains theoretical framework.

CHAPTER IV: DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

This chapter contains analysis and interpretation of the data collected using
specifically prepared questionnaire.

CHAPTER V: FINDINGS, SUGGESTIONS AND CONCLUSIONS OF THE

STUDY.

Final chapter contains, Findings, Suggestions and conclusion of the study.

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 CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION

A comprehensive review of literature has been done with respect to the impact
of tourism from the perceptions of host community in the tourist destination. Both
international and national studies have been analyzed with a view to find out the
research gap necessitating the present study. More than two hundred reviews have
been made on the varied aspects of tourism which helped to design the structure and
content of the study. Out of the myriad group of literature reviewed, only the most
relevant and important specimen of literature are presented in this chapter. These
reviews are given as under.

Binca Biagi, Mariya Gabriela Ladu, and Vincente Royula1, (2015) have analyzed
whether and to what extent the relationship between tourism and Human
Development remains positive under different circumstances. The study examined a
selection of 63 countries from 1996 to 2008 and considers the Human Development
Index plus a composite indicator of the tourism market as a whole. Findings confirm
that, on average, tourism is positively associated with human development,
particularly education although the association may be affected by circumstances.
Findings, which are robust to the specification of the composite tourism index and to
estimation techniques, suggest that investing in the tourism sector may have a strong
and significant positive effect for human development in the destination countries.
The presence of a temporary population, such as foreign visitors, with a high level of
education, high income, and an open-minded attitude may trigger changes in
residents‟ aspirations and perspective on life. These findings suggest the need for
further studies on the role of tourism in human development beyond the pure
economic growth effects. They also indicate the need to more deeply investigate the
role of tourism on residents‟ quality of life using methodologies other than the
analysis of resident perceptions through questionnaires.

Fatemeh Shafaei, and Badaruddin Mohamed2 , (2015) aim at demonstrating the

developmental stages of tourism social impacts assessment including model
development, instrument design, and instrument testing. The purpose of this study is
to investigate on the stages of development in tourism social impact assessment. In
order to realize the aim of this study, a comprehensive review in the most important
models and approaches about social impacts of tourism and their evaluation has been

6
applied. It is found that it is very important to adopt the planning policies which can
reinforce positive impacts while reduce negative impacts by involvement of
communities in tourism industry. This will result in further understanding of residents
about tourism and their participation in tourism decision making which will
consequently lead them to receive more benefits from the industry. These policies will
let local people to be involved in the industry in a positive way and undertake both
positive and negative impacts of tourism.

Maria Alina Radulescu3 (2014) attempts to make a contribution by examining local

residents‟ perceptions and attitudes towards second home tourism impacts and
tourism development in Cheia (Romania), a mountainous village hat transformed into
a second homes hotspot in the last twenty years. To obtain a vivid picture of the
second home phenomenon and to assess its impacts, both quantitative and qualitative
methods were employed to explore local residents‟ opinions and attitudes and to
establish a profile of the second home owners. The main findings are clustered around
themes ranging from positive to negative which reflect economic, socio-cultural and
environmental impacts.

Corinne Karlaganis and N. C. Narayanan4 , (2014) focused on governance, in

particular on the linkage between investment in tourism and the environment in
Vembanad Lake, an official site of the International Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
Tourism in houseboats and in resorts around the lake has grown remarkably in the
past two decades. The aim of this case study is to examine the environmental
regulations and challenges of implementation with a focus on houseboat tourism in
Vembanad Lake. The empirical investigations are conducted in two destinations
located in different parts of the lake. Data from the Kerala State Pollution Control
Board show that the lake is under severe environmental stress due to biological
(sewage), chemical (pesticides) and physical (plastic) pollutants. The methodology
involves analysis of secondary environmental data and semi-structured interviews
with various stakeholders. The problem of environmental degradation due to tourism
is linked to boat owners‟ desire for short-term profit maximisation even though most
of them are aware that the sustainability of the industry is linked to the environmental
quality of the lake. Another problem is the lack of infrastructure. It is found that the
broader political ecological picture is the progressive „capitalisation‟ of the Vembanad
lake from the rice-centric economic interventions of the past two centuries (that

7
encroached upon it and privatised it) to the tourism-related investments in land
(resorts) and water (houseboats) that have triggered a dual process of environmental
degradation and a livelihood crisis for those directly dependent on the wetland
ecosystem. The structural reasons explained by political ecology and its consequences
are countered by the attraction of new employment opportunities and entrepreneurial
avenues that have been opened up especially by the recent rise in tourism. The
mismatch between short-term economic gains and long-term sustainability of the
environment, and thus tourism activities, is due to the classical „prisoner‟s dilemma‟
situation of competitive non-compliance. This study focused on the contribution of
pollution by the houseboat industry and did not put much emphasis on other
pollutants such as pesticides from agriculture, chemicals from other industries, and
sewage from towns and villages around the lake.

Ashish Varughese5 , (2014) analyses the marketing activities, the various problems
faced by tourism service providers and the perception of tourists towards backwater
tourism in Kerala with the help of primary data. The analysis by using Garrett's
ranking shows that parking of boats, unhealthy competition and lack of Government
support were the first three main problems faced by the houseboat operators. Tourist's
satisfaction with the main elements of tourism products was measured by using
Likert's five point rating scale. A majority of the tourists were satisfied with
backwater tourism and were dissatisfied with the lack of cleanliness of backwaters
and hygiene factors.

Dimitrios Stylidisa, Avital Biranb, Jason Sitb, Edith M. Szivas6 , (2014) explain
that drawing on the triple bottom line approach for tourism impacts (economic, socio
cultural and environmental) and adopting a non-forced approach for measuring
residents‟ perception of these impacts, this study explores the role of residents‟ place
image in shaping their support for tourism development. The tested model proposes
that residents‟ place image affects their perceptions of tourism impacts and in turn
their support for tourism development. The results stress the need for a more flexible
and resident-oriented measurement of tourism impacts, revealing that more favorable
perceptions of the economic, socio-cultural and environmental impacts lead to greater
support. Moreover, while residents‟ place image has been largely neglected by
tourism development studies, the findings of this study reveal its significance in
shaping residents‟ perception of tourism impacts as well as their level of support. The

8
practical implications of the findings for tourism planning and development are also
discussed.

Nargeskhatoon Bozorgaghideh, Resia Beegam. S7 , (2014), give an overview of

tourism and poverty reduction and highlights major policy statements in „propoor
tourism‟. It discusses various aspects that play a crucial role in tourism development
with a focus on poverty reduction, economic performance, livelihoods, land and
natural resources, food security, environmental sustainability, climate change, etc.
The key message of this study is initiatives on pro-poor tourism taking in to account
realities on the life of local people. It also scans the effectiveness of Kerala‟s tourism
in the growth of the economy of Kerala in particular and its contribution to stringing
Indian economy. Different types of tourism are influential in the alleviation of
poverty. The „„backwaters‟‟ region with an extensive network of interlocking rivers,
lakes, and canals that center on Alleppey, Kumarakom, and Punnamada also the city
of Kochi, also known as the „„Queen of the Arabian Sea‟„ made Kerala as important
tourist‟s destination in the world. There are many forms of sustainable tourism such
as: the ecological tourism (ecotourism), the green tourism, the soft tourism, the rural
tourism and agro tourism, community tourism, equitable tourism, solidarity and
responsible tourism etc. Kerala Tourism also was piloting implementation Sustainable
of Tourism practices at 4 destinations Kumarakom, Wayanad, Kovalam and
Thekkady in triple bottom line - economic, socio-cultural and environment
responsibility- and could come out of a model which can be replicated to other
destinations with active participation of the tourism industry, local bodies The
resulting income and employment generation help to reduce poverty levels
particularly income poverty of the local residents including the poor.

Simao Diniz, Savio. P., Falleiro Maria. M. De. Baros8 , (2014) examines the impact
of tourism on the moral and family values, culture, crime levels, benefits and the
adverse effects of tourism and tourism related businesses on the locals in the coastal
village of Cavelossim, Goa (India). The study was undertaken to explore the gendered
perception of the impact of tourism on the psycho-social and economic life of the
locals the study involved a sample of 232 households. Using Chi-square and Kruskal-
Wallis H test, it was found that across gender there was a significant difference in the
perceived impact of tourism on family values. Male and female household heads
collectively believed that the most popular benefit of tourism was an increase in

9
income and the most severe adverse effect was rise in the price of food. The paper
concludes with the plea that since it is the locals who are primarily affected by
tourism activities, stakeholders need to consider their views and perceptions such that
while accommodating and entertaining. The locals perceive that tourism has led to the
lowering of moral values and the destruction of the unique Goan culture. Tourism
activities have encouraged the use of alcohol and drugs. It has increased sexual
permissiveness among the locals and has led to prostitution, teenage pregnancies and
a rise in abortions in the locality. An increase in the employment of the females in the
tourism industry and the independence of the younger family members, there is a
change in the family dynamics. The change is such that there is lesser respect and
concern for the elders in the family. The locals perceive that the major benefit of
tourism activities was increase in income and employment for the locals. However the
locals also felt that the government was a bigger beneficiary of tourism activities and
that the local economy has not been stimulated enough by tourism. The most popular
- tourism related business was renting of rooms and vehicles/taxis.

C. P. Ramamirtham, S. Muthusamy and L. R. Khambadkar9 (2014) The Paper

Estuarine Oceanography of The Vembanad Lake, Part I: The Region Between
Pallipuram (Vaikom) and Thevara, Gives The Results Pertaining to The Region
between Pallipuram (Vaikom) and Thevara (Cochin) of a detailed estuarine-
oceanographic study attempted on the Vembanad lake from Pallipuram in the south to
Azhikode in the north. The study was aimed primarily at classifying to what type of
estuary the lake belongs. As the two factors almost equally influencing the lake,
namely the incursion of salt water from the Arabian Sea and fresh water from the
rivers, both being by far governed by the monsoon, the major classification was
attempted on a seasonal basis. This southern stretch of the lake, from Pallipuram to
Thevara, is found to be distinctly different in character from the northern stretch, from
Cochin to Azhikode, almost throughout the year, evidently due to its distinct
circulation pattern, induced in turn by the greater and varied river runoil received into
this region. During the monsoon, as a result, this region of the lake is a highly
stratified Saltwedge type of estuary; but during both the preand postmonsoon periods
it changes partly over to the partially mixed type and partly to the vertically
homogeneous type, the latter occurring at the shallowest stations Perumbalam and
Pallipuram. The incursion of upwelled waters into this region and the mixing process

10
like entrainment during monsoon. A future line of work for continuous salinity and
velocity measurements, which will be highly helpful in understanding the mixing
process, is indicated.

Nuray Türker, and Sevgi O Ztürk10, (2013) provide two main conclusions from
their research: first, residents had neutral or somewhat positive perceptions towards
tourism. Second, the location of the residents affected their perceived impacts on
tourism, with the residents living in Pınarbaşı perceiving higher positive impacts of
tourism compared to residents of Azdavay and Şenpazar. The findings of the study
identified that the residents have both positive and negative perceptions towards
tourism impacts in their community. From a general point of view, it seems clear that
the host community acknowledges the economic benefits of tourism. The cultural and
social benefits are also perceived as an advantage by residents, but to a low degree. At
the same time, it is recognized that tourism creates different problems, including
traffic congestion. If this is indeed the case, it appears that the community is looking
towards tourism as a mechanism that can, directly or indirectly, stimulate the local
economy and increase the standard of living. The overall positive feelings of residents
also identified some negative environmental impacts of tourism such as traffic
congestion and pollution. The findings show that there was no difference in residents‟
perceptions according to their gender, age group, occupation and length of residency.
One of the contributions of this study is that little research is available which analyzes
the perceptions of residents on the impacts of tourism in protected areas as most of the
similar studies have conducted in holiday destinations where negative impacts of
mass tourism can be seen.

Dr. C.Kanagaraj, and T. Bindu11, (2013), conduct an exploratory attempt to analyze

the underlying reasons for Indian domestic travelers choosing Kerala as a holiday
destination. 34 push motives and 32 pull motives for domestic tourists to Kerala have
been analyzed. The study was conducted through structured questionnaires collected
from respondents in South India who had undertaken a Holiday in Kerala in January
2013. Factor analysis found nine underlying push motivations and six pull
motivations amongst domestic tourists. As tourism is the most important sector in
Kerala, it can be assumed that this study has major managerial implications as an
understanding of travel motivations to Kerala would enable the destination planners in
designing and positioning the destination‟s competitive advantage and image.

11
Brent D. Moyle, Betty Weiler, and Glen Croy12, (2013), ascertain that tourism can
have positive and negative economic, environmental and socio-cultural impacts.
Previous research has focused on residents‟ perceptions of these impacts with little
emphasis on those of the visitor, resulting in a lack of theorizing and empirical
investigation into how visitors perceive and evaluate their impacts. Based on the
premise that a better understanding of the visitor perspective can underpin the
proactive management of some tourism impacts, this study uses Social Exchange
Theory to explore visitors‟ perceptions on tourism impacts on two Australian islands.
Overall, visitors recognized that tourism activity increases impacts and evaluated
these as mostly positive for the island communities. While visitors were aware of a
range of positive and negative impacts, they judged their own impact to be more
positive than that of tourism collectively. The findings point to how research can be
used to underpin visitor-focused management and mitigation strategies of island
destinations.

Nurhazani Mohd Shariff, Azlan Zainol Abidin13, (2013) developed a Standard

Instrument to measure Community Attitude Towards Tourism Impacts The procedure
involved five major stages beginning with the identification of 68 items represented
tourism impacts. It was then followed by 50 items tested for validity and verification
by the panel experts. The next procedure involved a test of scale purification on the
remaining 49 items. Finally, the last step of the procedure derived with 36 items and
six new tourism impact domains presented in the instrument. The findings eventually
indicate new attitudinal instrument developed in a different cultural context of tourism
destination research which in this case referred to Malaysia. Theoretically, the study
contributes toward the understanding of tourism impact items in the case of Malaysian
tourism development. Most importantly, the study provides tourism planners, decision
makers and marketers with greater confidence that it will effectively measure all
aspects of the community‟s attitudes towards tourism impacts in Malaysia. Finally,
the study could be utilized by the tourism marketers in providing tool of measurement
which eventually can be used to segment the community support toward tourism
development. Overall, this explains that the Malaysian community has strong
awareness towards tourism development. The study has achieved the purpose of
developing a standard instrument to measure community attitudes towards impact of
tourism development in Malaysia.

12
Emmanuel Dodzi K. Havi, Patrick Enu14, (2013) examine the impact of tourism on
economic performance using Johansen's cointegration approach. It was found that all
the variables, nominal gross domestic product per capita, domestic tourism per capita
and international tourism per capita were integrated at first order. The results of
Johansen's cointegration test indicated that there exist only short run relationships
among all the variables being considered. The study found out that previous record of
the international tourism had a positive impact on nominal gross domestic product per
capita and this impact is elastic. As a result, improvement in international tourism will
lead to increase in nominal gross domestic product per capita. The Granger Causality
test also showed that was unilateral causality between international tourism and
nominal gross domestic product per capita and domestic tourism as well as
international tourism.

Fariborz Aref15 (2011) reveals that tourism has the positive effect on quality of life
of residents. According to the survey, the strongest tourism impacts are found to be
linked with emotional wellbeing, community well-being, and income and
employment. While health and safety well-being are found to be the least favorable in
terms of the effect of tourism on quality of life. The findings of this study will aid in
the planning of strategic development programs for tourist destinations. The results of
this study provided some explanation of tourism effect on quality of life. The results
showed that respondents strongly agree that tourism has many effects on their quality
of life. The findings help to understanding relationship between tourism impacts and
level of quality of life with support for tourism development. The findings of this
investigation can assist tourism stakeholders and community developers in the
implementation of tourism development strategies based on residents‟ attitudes
towards tourism impacts on quality of life in tourism destination.

Latha Bhaskar16 (2011) identifies that due to prolonged anthropogenic interventions

in the name of development, the Vembanad wetland is facing increasing deterioration.
Protection, conservation and management of the lake and its resources, through
coordinated efforts of all stakeholders, are vital for restoring this fragile ecosystem.
Recently, Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh during his visit
to the State announced that Vembanad Lake would be included in the National
Wetland Conservation Plan, with 100 per cent assistance from MoEF. He allotted Rs.
10 crore for preliminary works and promised to put up the project for external

13
assistance amounting to $20 million (Rs. 90 crore). The Kerala government has also
decided to establish Vembanad Eco-development Authority for the restoration and
regeneration of the Vembanad Lake.

Gopakumar & Kaoru Takara17, (2009) find in Vembanad wetlands a number of

artificial interventions, such as large-scale reclamation of water bodies to form fields
for rice cultivation, and unscientific construction activities have led to the degradation
of the environmental status of the Vembanad Wetlands of Kerala State in India.
Increased flood proneness is one of the many major environmental issues faced in the
region during the recent decades. A dynamic view of spatial changes in the wetland
and knowledge on its relation to the various environmental issues are essential for
scientifically planning the land and water resources management of the wetlands. In
this study, through the development of geographic data sets and their analysis in GIS,
benchmarks are established for the extent of Vembanad Lake and its changes due to
reclamation during the 20th century, the bathymetry of the lake and its area–
elevation– capacity relationship, the wetland topography and its water holding
capacity at different elevations.

According to Leena Mary Sebastian and Prema Rajagopalan18 (2009) the lack of
benefits from tourism, backwater pollution by houseboats and hotels and the socio-
cultural and livelihood challenges triggered by tourism have generated anti-tourism
attitude in Kumarakom. The construction of accommodation establishments on the
banks of the Vembanad Lake rendered backwater inaccessible to the Fisherman and
Shell collectors. The conversion of paddy fields for tourism purposes further
undermined the villagers‟ livelihoods. The upward mobility of a few members
through land scale widened the gap between the wealthy and the poor. The incomplete
agricultural intervention such as the bund, which has adversely affected their
occupation, might have influenced the residents‟ perceptions.

Naser Ali Azimi19, (2007) provides the first social impact research on such an historic
city in Iran by measuring the host community's attitudes towards tourism
development. The primary goal here is to establish a theoretical and empirical study
for the city of Esfahan, enabling future comparative analyses of host attitudes. The
aim of this study was to examine the attitudes of local residents towards
economically-inspired tourism development in the historic city of Esfahan. As stated

14
above, this is the first study to consider specifically the social impacts of tourism
development in Iran in an historic city with such a large population size. This study
has been shown to support our prediction that those residents who gain economic
benefits are more supportive of this industry than others and they support further
development. Those with lower incomes will more easily accept to see their city
becoming a more major destination for the flow of tourism and this finding is in the
line with social exchange theory. It has also been seen that, if wages in the tourism
industry begin to fall relative to wages in the rest of the city‟s economic activities,
then we will see even those currently benefiting from this industry will develop a
resentment towards tourism.

20
Vincy M.V., Brilliant Rajan and Pradeep Kumar A. P. (2012) Conducted a
study on backwater tourism in Kerala and found that degradation and loss have
reduced the capacity of wetlands to provide sufficient amounts and quality of water.
The continued degradation of wetlands, and more specifically the continued decline in
water quantity and quality, will result in further impoverishment of human health
especially for vulnerable people in developing countries. The waterborne pollutants
(chemical and microbiological) have a major effect on human health and chemical
pollutants accumulate in the food chain to the point where they harm people. As a
result, many new tourism facilities (like resorts and hotels) are being built without
concern for either the natural wetland system or the areas culture and heritage.
Variables analysed included air and water temperature, TDS, pH, EC, DO, BOD, total
alkalinity, salinity, nitrate phosphate, hardness, sodium, potassium, calcium, and
silicate. The acceptable level of water quality is a minimum requisite for tourism
activities in all tourism destinations. The continued degradation of wetlands
specifically the continued decline in water quality will result in impoverishment of
human health, especially for vulnerable people in developing countries.

15
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1. Binca Biagi, Mariya Gabriela Ladu, and Vincente Royula, “Human

Development and tourism Specialization. Evidence from a panel of developed
and developing countries”, 2015.
2. Fatemeh Shafaei, Badaruddin Mohamed “A Stage-Based Model Development
Study on Tourism Social Impact Assessment”, International Journal of
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3. Maria Alina Radulescu,”The Impacts of Second Home Tourism: A Local
Residents‟ Perspective. A Case Study on Cheia”, June 2014, Uk.
4. Corinne Karlagains. N.C. Narayana, “Governance Challenges in Linking
Environmental Sustainability to Tourism: Where is the Houseboat Industry in
Kerala”, India Headed, March 2004.
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(Vaikom) And Thevara (Cochin)” 2014.
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Business Studies, Vol. 3, April, June 2013, Coimbatore.

16
12. Brent D. Moyle, Betty Weiler, Glen Croy, “Visitor's perceptions of tourism
impacts: Bruny and Magnetic Islands, Australia”, Journal of Travel Research,
2013.
13. Nurhazani Mohd Shariff, Azlan Zainol Abidin, “Developing Malaysians
Community Attitude Scale Towards Tourism Impacts”, Journal Of
International Academic Research For Multidisciplinary Impact Factor 1.393,
ISSN: 2320-5083, Volume 2, Issue 5, June 2014.
14. Emmanuel Dodzi K. Havi, M. Phil Patrick Enu, M.A, “The Impact Of
Tourism On Economic Performance In Ghana Methodist University College,
Ghana”, European Scientific Journal December 2013 Edition Vol.9, No.34 I.
15. Fariborz Aref, “The Effects of Tourism on Quality of Life: A Case Study of
Shiraz, Iran”, Life Science Journal, Volume 8, Issue 2, 2011.
16. Latha Bhaskar, “Query: Plan for revival of Vembanad Lake - Experiences;
Advice”, July, 2011.
17. Gopakumar, Kaoru Takara, “Analysis of bathymetry and spatial changes of
Vembanad Lake and terrain characteristics of Vembanad Wetlands using
GIS”, JS.4 at the Joint IAHS & IAH Convention, Hyderabad, September 2009,
India.
18. Leena Mary Sebastian and Prema Rajagopalan, “Socio-cultural transformation
through tourism: A comparison of residents perceptive at two destinations in
Kerala, India”, Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, Vol.7, No.7, March
2009
19. Naser Ali Azimi, “Broadening the Environment: a Social Impacts Study of
Tourism in Esfahan”, Environmental Sciences Vol.4, No.3, Spring 2007.
20. Vincy M.V., Brilliant Rajan and Pradeep Kumar A.P “Water Quality
Assessment of a Tropical Wetland Ecosystem with Special Reference to
Backwater Tourism, Kerala, South India”, International Research Journal Of
Environment Science, Vol. 1, December, 2012.

17
 CHAPTER III
OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
TOURISM IN WAYANAD – AN OVERVIEW

Kerala, the most exotic state of India was created in 1956. The state has
always been in the forefront in education, health care and tourism sectors. The state
has achieved 100 percent literacy as early as 1991. Kerala is popular as the land of
spices, Indian systems of medicine, notably Ayurveda, amazing sceneries and
distinctive culture. The economy of Kerala is directed by the service sectors,
agriculture and fishing along with overseas remittances.

Geographically Kerala is located between Western Ghats and Arabian Sea in

the South West of Indian peninsula. The mountainous terrain in the eastern highlands,
the hill ranges in the central midland and the coastal plains in the western lowlands
divide Kerala into three distinct regions with varying geographical features and
climate. The landscape varies from sandy beaches to misty hill stations and dense
wildlife to metro cities. Kerala occupies 11305 square kilometers of forest area, which
is 29.10% of the total forest areas of India. The total forest area includes 9107sq. km
of reserved forests, 364 sq. km of proposed reserves and remaining 1837 sq. km of
vested forests and ecologically fragile lands (Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department,
2012). Around 8 percent of India‟s waterways are found in Kerala including lakes,
estuaries, beaches, rivers and backwaters.

The eastern boarder of the state, close to the Western Ghats, comprises of
mountains and valleys. There are 44 rivers flowing through Kerala. Among them 41
originate in the Western Ghats and flow towards the west into the Arabian Sea. Only
River Cauvery flows towards east. The variety in natural attractions and the unique
culture and traditions of the state have made Kerala a popular tourist destination and
the crown piece of Indian Tourism. Kerala tourism has become a super brand through
the „God‟s own country‟ tagline. The National Geographic Traveler, a popular travel
and tourism magazine published by the National Geographic Society of the United
States has included Kerala among the 50 “must see destinations" in the world.

The state of Kerala is divided into 14 revenue districts based on geographical

and cultural similarities into North Kerala (Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad, Kozhikode,
and Malappuram), Central Kerala (Palakkad, Thrissur, Eranakulam, Idukki) and
South Kerala (Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam).

18
Wayanad, the northern district of Kerala is unique with its geography, heritage and
natural resources.

WAYANAD – AN OVERVIEW

There are many views about the origin of the name „Wayanad‟. The widely
accepted one is Vayal (Paddy) Nadu (Land), the land of paddy field (Malayalam). It is
believed that Wayanad was earlier known as Mayakshetra (Sanskrit), meaning the
district of Mayan, the architect of the deityans. Mayakshetra evolved into Mayanad
and finally to Wayanad (Madras Mannual, vol.111, O.K. Johny, 2007). Another view
attributes it‟s origin from the name „Vana nad‟ (forest country) which by passage of
time is pronounced as Wayanad (C.Gopalan Nair, 1911).

Wayanad was formed as the 12th district of Kerala on November 1, 1980 by

merging North and South Wayanad regions of Kannur and Kozhikode districts.
Wayanad constitutes an area of 2,131 sq kms which accounts for 5.48 percent of the
state‟s total area. Forest constitutes almost 1775 sq kms which is 83.29 percent of the
total area of the district (Manorama Year Bbook, 2013)

GEOGRAPHY OF WAYANAD

Wayanad district of Kerala lies between 110 27' to 150 58' north latitude and
750 47' to 700 27'east latitude. Wayanad is situated at 700 to 2100 mts above the sea
level on the southern most part of Deccan Plateau in the mountain range of Western
Ghats. It is bordered by Nilgiris (Tamilnadu) and Mysore (Karnataka) in the east,
Coorg (Karnataka) in the north, Malappuram (Kerala) in the South and Kozhikode
and Kannur (Kerala) in the West.

The north and central Wayanad are hilly areas. The central ranges of hills are
lower in height compared to the northern range. Banasura, Brahmagiri and Chembra
are the few hills of mountainous appearance. The lower parts of the hills are suitable
for tea, coffee and rubber plantations. The eastern area endowed with plain lands.
From the highest altitude of the Western Ghats on the western boarder of the district,
the plateau of Wayanad gradually slopes down towards east.

19
 Wayanad is situated at the junction of the three major hill ranges: Western
Ghats, Eastern Ghats and Nilgiris. The district shares its border with three Indian
states: Kerala, Karnataka and Tamilnadu. Wayanad is also surrounded by four
wildlife sanctuaries_Nagarhole and Bandipur of Karnataka, Mudumalai of Tamilnadu
and Wayanad Wildlife sanctuary of Kerala. Plateau deciduous, tropical evergreen, and
tropical semi evergreen forests are found here. The plateau deciduous forests are
located on the eastern side of the district where there is high rainfall. Deciduous
plateau of Wayanad is known for its teak forests. The semi evergreen forests are those
lie between the tropical evergreen and deciduous plateau. The eastern part of the
district is low lying and is full of plantations like tea, coffee, pepper and cardamom
(IIM Kozhikode, 2006).

RIVER SYSTEMS

The entire district of Wayanad is drenched by river Kabani, the tributary of

river Cauvery. The three tributaries of Kabani, namely, Panamaram river,
Mananthavady river and Thirunelly river make the land fertile and beautiful.
Panamaram river originates from perennial lake Pookkod which is a famous tourist
site. Mananthavady rivulet originates from Thondarmudi peak and joins Panamaram
rivulet near Payyampally, almost six kilometers away from Panamaram and becomes
river Kabani from this confluence. After two kilometres from the confluence, river
Kabini flows into Kabini reservoir bordering Kerala and Karnataka. Tirunelly river
(Kalindi) originates from Brahmagiri hills form the rivulet Papanasini near Tirunelly
temple. River Kalindi joins Kabani river between Kabani reservoir and Kuruva
islands.

TOURISM SCENARIO IN WAYANAD

Tourism is fast growing sector in Wayanad. Accordingly, the Government of

Kerala has declared Wayanad as a Tourism District. The scenic beauty, exotic
landscape and rich heritage of Wayanad offer several opportunities for tourism
promotion more vigorously. Wayanad's wildlife, plantations, and cuisine further
enrich the tourism potential. The district is best known among nature lovers who
search for adventure and novel experiences.

20
 Wayanad is a multi-faceted destination with immense potential for Rural
tourism(villages, people, agriculture, ethnic manifestations in rural areas), Heritage
tourism (Edakkal caves, Pazhassi memorial, Jain temples, Heritage museum), Leisure
tourism(Pookot lake, soochippara waterfall, Meenmutty waterfall, Lakkidi ghat pass),
Island tourism (Kuruva islands), Adventure tourism (Meenmutty waterfalls, Chembra
peak, Pakshipatalam), Hydel tourism (Banasura sagar dam), Pilgrim tourism
(Tirunelly temple, Sita Devi Temple, Valliyurkavu Temple, Pallikkunnu Church,
Varambetta Mosque, Jain temples),Wildlife tourism (Muthanga wildlife sanctuary,
Tholpetty wild life sanctuary), Tribal tourism (tribal communities, their life style,
culture, rituals, language, costumes, food habits, festivals, art forms), Plantation
tourism (plantations of coffee, tea, cardamom, pepper and rubber), Spice tourism
(cardamom & pepper), Health tourism (herbals, Ayurvedic treatment centers),
Festival tourism (tribal festivals, religious and regional festivals), Shopping tourism
(Spices, handicrafts, honey, herbals), and Ecotourism (Tholpetty, Muthanga, Kuruva
Islands). Wayanad has attractions for special interest tourists seeking nature, jungle
walk and indigenous culture. In simple, Wayanad has in its tourism product basket
everything for tourists.

Wildlife Tourism

Wayanad Wild Life Sanctuary established in 1973 is the second largest

wildlife sanctuary in Kerala and a separate Wayanad Wildlife division was constituted
in 1985. Wayanad Wildlife sanctuary includes 13 reserved forests which are classified
under moist deciduous forests, dry deciduous forests, semi evergreen forests and
plantations. The sanctuary is also part of Project Elephant Reserve No.7. The rich
flora and fauna include many endangered rare species. For administrative purpose,
Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is zoned into Core zone, Buffer zone, Tourism zone and
Restoration zone. Tourism activities, of course, are restricted to the tourism zones in
Muthanga and Tholpetty ranges of the Wayanad Widlife Sancturay.

Heritage Tourism

Wayanad is a treasure trove of historical sites and heritage centers. This

includes natural caves, temples and museum. Edakkal Cave, Heritage Museum,
Pazhassi Tomp, Jain Temples , etc are the examples for this.

21
Leisure Tourism

Majority of tourists to Wayanad are leisure tourists. Wayanad is an ideal

leisure destination with lakes, waterfalls and other scenic attractions to relax and
refresh., pookote lake, Soochippara Water falls, Kanthan Pra Water falls, karlad Lake,
etc are the examples for this.

Island Tourism

Islands have always been very attractive for tourists of all age groups. It is a
wonderful experience to be in the midst of water. Islands here are groups of small
uninhabited islands in the evergreen forests of Wayanad. Kuruva island is an example
for this.

Adventure Tourism

Wayanad with its rich natural resources, rocks, valleys and climate provide
ample scope for adventure tourism. Chembra peak, Pakhipathalam and Meenmutty
are known for adventure tourism.

Pilgrim Tourism

Apart from a beautiful ambience and nature which woo a large number of
leisure tourists, Wayanad has a few places of religious importance. People of all
major religions co-exist here harmoniously. Regardless of one's religion or faith, all
the people of the region participate in the festivals and other important religious
activities. The religious harmony in Wayanad is visible in the festivals of temples,
churches and mosques. Irrespective of religion, the local people participate in the
festivals of Valliyurkavu temple, Pallikkunnu church or Korome mosque. The famous
Hindu pilgrim centers in Wayanad are Tirunelly, Valliyurkavu and Sita devi Temple.

Tribal Tourism

Native people, their culture and lifestyle are always a curiosity for outside
world. Wayanad is known for its rich indigenous heritage, with the largest tribal
population of Kerala. The different tribal communities like, Paniyas, Kurumans,
Kattunaykas, Uralis and Adiyans are different from each other with respect to culture

22
and tradition. It is a great experience to Special Interest Tourist visiting Wayanad. The
rich legacy of arts and crafts, music, dance, ornaments, cuisine, and medicines of
tribes are of good academic interest for students and researchers. There are tribal
villages like Nellarachal, where special interest tourists are taken for a visit by District
Tourism Promotion Council on request.

Plantation Tourism

The high altitude and the climate of Wayanad is suitable for the cultivation of
perennial plantation crops and spices. The major plantations include coffee, tea,
pepper, and rubber. Spices like cardamom, vanilla and ginger are also cultivated. The
journey to the major tourist sites in Wayanad through breathtaking tea and coffee
plantations with ample opportunities for photo stops. Apart from this, there are ample
opportunities for exclusive plantation tours. All the major tourist resorts arrange
plantation tours for the guests on request. Most of the homestays offer the guests a
walk through their own plantations and opportunity to indulge in tapping rubber,
pollinating vanilla, plucking the tea leaves, etc.

Health Tourism

The congenial climate of Wayanad, especially the long monsoon is ideal for
Ayurveda treatment. Large number of tourists visits Wayanad for naturopathy and
ayurveda treatment during monsoon. There are good number of approved Ayurveda
hospitals like Ayurkendra Kannur Ayurvedic multispecialty hospital and Nirmala
Ayurvedic Hospital in Kalpetta, and Herbal Nest, Sulthan Bathery. Few top notch
Ayurveda resorts of superior quality also operate in the region, namely Ayurveda
Yogavilla at Kuruva. Quite a good number of foreign tourists could be seen around in
these resorts who visit India for ayurvedic treatment and stay for a minimum of 21
days for the treatment.

23
HYDEL TOURISM

Hydel Tourism is a novel initiative of the Electricity department, Government

of Kerala. Thanks to the initiative of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB),
tourists may go round the hydro electric power plant and water power generators from
vantage points. Hydel reservoirs are important tourist attractions in Kerala. Drawn
from Munnar experience, hydel tourism is promoted in this region since 2000. Kerala
Hydel Tourism Centre (KHTC), a society formed by KSEB is operating this site with
the objectives of harnessing the water based tourism potential, preservation of the
ecology and to provide information and education on hydel tourism.

Kerala Hydel Tourism Centre (KHTC), a unit of Kerala State Electricity

Board Ltd, was registered during the year 1999 with Registration No: T1911, with
Headquarters at Vydyuthi Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram. The main objective of the
centre is to facilitate the effective utilization of water based tourism potential in the
natural surroundings of hydel projects areas of the state as well as preserve the
ecology of the area.

As part of promoting tourism and effective utilization of the water body

maintained and operated by KSE Board Ltd in remote areas, KHTC has started its
operations in Munnar as early as 1999 & Wayanad during late 2000, thereby bringing
socio-economic benefits to the remote areas of the State. KHTC owns and operates
boats of various types around water bodies in possession of KSE Board Ltd in and
around Idukki/Wayanad/Kozhikode/Thrissur as part of promotion of tourism industry
in the State. KHTC is expanding its operations to areas in around major water bodies
maintained by KSE Board Ltd not limiting its activities to only boating.

BANSURA SAGAR DAM AND HYDEL TOURISM

Banasura Sagar Dam, which impounds the Karamanathodu tributary of the

Kabini River, is part of the Indian Banasurasagar Project consisting of a dam and a
canal project started in 1979.The goal of the project is to support the Kakkayam
Hydro electric power project and satisfy the demand for irrigation and drinking water
in a region known to have water shortages in seasonal dry periods. The dam is also

24
known as Kuttiyadi Augmentation Main Earthen Dam. The dam has a height of 38.5
metres (126 ft) and length of 685 metres (2,247 ft).

In the dam's reservoir there is a set of islands that were formed when the
reservoir submerged the surrounding areas.The islands with the Banasura hills are in
the background view. It is the largest earth dam in India and the second largest of its
kind in Asia. The dam is made up of massive stacks of stones and boulders.

The Kuttiyadi Augmentation Scheme consists of a main dam known as

Banasurasagar Dam, an earth fill dam and a concrete gravity spillway dam and six
saddle dams namely, a) Kosani ( Earth fill dam) 13.8 m high b) Near Kottagiri ( Earth
fill dam) 11.0 m high c) Kottagiri ( Earth fill dam) 14.5 m high d) Kuttiyadi (
Concrete dam) 16.5 m high e) Nayanmoola ( Earth fill dam) 3.5 m high f) Manjoora
( Earth fill dam) 4.0 m high. All the dams, except Kuttiady saddle, are earth fill dams.
The Kuttiyadi saddle dam is a concrete dam. The spillway is located adjacent to the
main dam at the right bank of the original river course. The water spread area at FRL /
MWL is 12.77 km2. The catchment area of Banasurasagar Dam is 61.44 km2.

Banasura Sagar Dam, which impounds the Karamanathodu tributary of the

Kabini River, is part of the Indian Banasurasagar Project consisting of a dam and a
canal project started in 1979.The goal of the project is to support the Kakkayam
Hydro electric power project and satisfy the demand for irrigation and drinking water
in a region known to have water shortages in seasonal dry periods.

In the dam's reservoir there is a set of islands that were formed when the
reservoir submerged the surrounding areas.The islands with the Banasura hills in the
background provide a spectacular view.It is the largest earth dam in India and the
second largest of its kind in Asia. The dam is made up of massive stacks of stones and
boulders.

LEGEND AND AMBIENCE

Situated about 15 km from Kalpetta, the dam holds a large expanse of water
and its picturesque beauty is enhanced by the chain of mountains seen on the
backdrop. It is constructed in the Banasura Lake and the nearby mountains are known
as Banasura Hills. Legends say that the Asura king of Banasura, (the son of King

25
Mahabali, who is believed to visit Kerala during every Onam festival) undertook a
severe penance on the top of these hills and thus it was named after him. The scenic
mountains beckon adventure tourists and the dam site is an ideal starting point for
trekking. During monsoon, visitors may also be able to see small islands in the dam‟s
reservoir. They are formed while the flooded reservoir submerges the surrounding
areas too. The vast expanse of the crystal clear water of the dam dotted with small
islands is a photographer‟s delight.

HISTORY BANASURA SAGAR DAM

Consisting of a dam and a canal began operating as part of the Indian

Banasura Sagar Project. It aims at supporting the Kakkayam Hydro electric power
project and also contributes to the irrigation and drinking water requirements of the
people during summer, if there is water shortage.

LOCATION

The Banasura Sagar Dam is located 21 km from Kalpetta, in Wayanad District

of Kerala in the Western Ghats. It is the largest earthen dam in India and the second
largest in Asia and a starting point for hikes into the surrounding mountains. It is an
important tourist attraction. Banasura Sagar Dam is at the foot of the Banasura Hill.

SPILLWAY DAM

Kuttiady Augmentation Spillway dam is a concrete dam with spillways for the
Banasurasagar (kutyadi Augmentation) reservoir. The Spillway dam is part of the
Kuttiyadi Augmentation Scheme which is located in Wayanad district. It aims at
utilizing water of the Karamanthodu River, a tributary of Kabani River. The Scheme
consists of a main dam known as Banasurasagar Dam an earth fill dam and a concrete
gravity spillway dam and six saddle dams.

RESERVOIR

The Gross Storage of Kuttiyadi Augmentation (Banasura sagar) Reservoir is

209 Mm3 and live storage 185 Mm3. The water stored in the reservoir is diverted to
the reservoir of Kuttiyadi Hydro Electric Project through an interconnecting tunnel.

26
The sill level of diversion tunnel at inlet is 750.83 m. The size and shape of tunnel is
varying. It is varying from 2.35 m dia. circular lined tunnel for a length of 890m
&2.85 m D shaped unlined tunnel for a length of 3873 m. Maximum diversion is11.6
m3/s. The diverted water is used for power generation from Kuttiyadi Power Station.
FRL of the reservoir is 775.60 m. Top level of dam is 778.50 m. There are four radial
gates, each of size 10.97 m x 9.20 m. Crest level of spillway is 767.00 m. Spillway
capacity is 1664 m3/s. One lower level outlet is provided in the spillway structure
at750.75 m of size 1.10 m X 1.75 m to release irrigation requirement.

ETYMOLOGY

The Banasura Sagar Dam is named after Banasura, the son of Mahabali who
as per local Hindu mythological belief was a very respected king of Kerala.

27
 CHAPTER IV
DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
 Table 4.1
Gender wise classification
Gender No of Respondents Percentage
Male 28 56
Female 22 44
Prefer not to say 0 0
Total 50 100
Source: Primary data

Interpretation: From the above figures it can be seen that, majority that is 56% of the
respondents are Males, rest 44% of them are Females.

Chart 4.1
Gender wise classification

44
Male
Female
Prefer not to say

56

28
 Table 4.2
Age wise classification
Age No of Respondents Percentage
Below 20 7 14
21-40 29 58
41-60 11 22
More than 60 3 6
Total 50 100
Source: Primary data

Interpretation: As per the above table, Majority (58%) of the respondents are under
the age category of 21-40 years age group, 22% of them belongs to 41-60 age group,
14% of them are under below 20 age category and rest 6% of them are under the age
category of more than 60.

Chart 4.2
Age wise classification

70

60 58

50
Percentage

40

30
22
20
14

10 6

0
Below 20 21-40 41-60 More than 60
Age category

29
 Table 4.3
Occupation wise classification
Occupation No of Respondents Percentage
Self 9 18
Government 4 8
Private 19 38
Housewife 5 10
Students 13 26
Total 50 100
Source: Primary data

Interpretation: From the above table, majority (38%) of the respondents are private
employees. 26% of them are students, 18% of them are self-employed, 10% of them
are housewives and rest 8% of the respondents are working as government servants.

Chart 4.3
Occupation wise classification

38
40

35

30 26
25
Percentage

18
20

15 10
8
10

0
Self Government Private Housewife Students
Occupation

30
 Table 4.4
Education wise classification
Education No of Respondents Percentage
School 2 4
Secondary 14 28
Graduation 23 46
Post-graduation 11 22
Total 50 100
Source: Primary data

Interpretation: From the above figures, it can be seen that, majority (46%) of the
respondents are marked graduation as their qualification, 28% of them marked it as
secondary, 22% of them are completed post-graduation and above and rest 4% of
them have school level education.

Chart 4.4
Education wise classification

50 46
45
40
35
28
Percentage

30
22
25
20
15
10 4
5
0
School Secondary Graduation Post-graduation
Educational Qualification

31
 Table 4.5
Purpose of travel
Purpose No of Respondents Percentage
Leisure 25 50
Study 5 10
Passion 18 36
None of above 2 4
Total 50 100
Source: Primary data

Interpretation: From the above figures, it can be seen that, majority (50%) of the
respondents marked for leisure as the purpose of their visit. 36% of them marked
travelling as their passion, 10% of them opinioned it as study purpose and rest 4%
have other purposes for their visit.

Chart 4.5
Purpose of travel

50
50
45
40 36
35
Percentage

30
25
20
15 10
10 4
5
0
Leisure Study Passion None of above
Purposes of travel

32
 Table 4.6
Reason for choosing Banasura sagar dam
Reason No of Respondents Percentage
Beautiful Scenery 20 40
Budget Friendly 12 24
Nearest Location 15 30
None of the above 3 6
Total 50 100
Source: Primary data

Interpretation: From the above figures, it can be seen that, majority (40%) of the
respondents chosen Banasura Sagar Dam because of the beautiful scenery over there.
30% of them marked that, they have chosen Banasura because it is the nearest
location for them. 24% of them opinioned it as Banasura is a budget friendly
destination. Rest 6% of the respondents chosen Banasura because of other reasons.

Chart 4.6
Reason for choosing Banasura sagar dam

40
40
35 30
30
24
Percentage

25
20
15
10 6

5
0
Beautiful Budget Friendly Nearest Location None of the
Scenery above
Reasons

33
 Table 4.7
Opinion on utilization of resources
Opinion No of Respondents Percentage
Highly Satisfied 20 40
Satisfied 18 36
Dissatisfied 10 20
Highly Dissatisfied 2 4
Total 50 100
Source: Primary data

Interpretation: From the above figures, it can be seen that, majority (40%) of the
respondents are highly satisfied with the opinion that, Banasura Sagar Dam utilize
resources optimally. 36% of them are satisfied with this statement, 20% of them are
dissatisfied and rest 4% of them highly dissatisfied with the opinion that Banasura
Sagar Dam utilize resources optimally

Chart 4.7
Opinion on utilization of resources

45
40
40
36
35

30
Percentage

25
20
20

15

10
4
5

0
Highly Satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied Highly Dissatisfied
Level of satisfaction

34
 Table 4.8
Problems faced during visit
Problems No of Respondents Percentage
Parking 30 60
Waste Management 4 8
Safety 7 14
Other Problems 9 18
Total 50 100
Source: Primary data

Interpretation: From the above figures, it can be seen that, majority (60%) of the
respondents marked parking as the main problem they are facing while visiting this
destination. 18% of them marked other problems, 14% of them marked safety as a
problem and rest 8% of them marked improper waste management as the problem
they are faced.

Chart 4.8
Problems faced during visit

60
60

50

40
Percentage

30
18
20 14
8
10

0
Parking Waste Safety Other Problems
Management
Problems

35
 Table 4.9
Opinion on Banasura sagar Dam is secured enough
Opinion No of Respondents Percentage
Yes 39 78
No 11 22
Total 50 100
Source: Primary data

Interpretation: From the above figures, it can be seen that, majority (78%) of the
respondents opinioned that Banasura Sagar Dam is secured enough, rest 22% of the
respondents oppose with this opinion.

Chart 4.9
Opinion on Banasura sagar Dam is secured enough

22

Yes
No

78

36
 Table 4.10
Impact of Hydel Tourism because of Covid 19
Opinion No of Respondents Percentage
Unemployment 13 26
Decrease in number of tourist 9 18
Decrease in revenue 3 6
All of the 25 50
Total 50 100
Source: Primary data

Interpretation: From the above figures, it can be seen that, majority (50%) of the
respondents opinioned, unemployment, decrease in the number of tourists, and
decrease in revenue these all together are the impact of Covid 19 in Hydel Tourism.
26% of them marked it as unemployment, 18% of them marked Decrease in number
of tourists and rest 6% of them marked it as decrease in revenue.

Chart 4.10
Impact of Hydel Tourism because of Covid 19

50
50
45
40
35
26
Percentage

30
25 18
20
15
6
10
5
0
Unemployment Decrease in Decrease in All of the
number of revenue
tourist
Opinion

37
 Table 4.11
Favorite activities at Banasura
Opinion No of Respondents Percentage
Boating 21 42
Fishing 4 8
Park 10 20
Other Activities 15 30
Total 50 100
Source: Primary data

Interpretation: From the above figures, it can be seen that, majority (42%) of the
respondents marked boating as their favorite activity at Banasura Sagar Dam. 30% of
them marked it as other activities, 20% of them opinioned it as Park and 8% of them
marked it as fishing as their favorite activity.

Chart 4.11
Favorite activities at Banasura

42
45
40
35 30
30
Percentage

25 20
20
15
8
10
5
0
Boating Fishing Park Other Activities
Opinion

38
 Table 4.12
Opinion on availability of Proper Parking facilities
Opinion No of Respondents Percentage
Yes 20 40
No 30 60
Total 50 100
Source: Primary data

Interpretation: From the above figures, it can be seen that, majority (60%) of the
respondents marked, there is improper parking facilities available at Banasura. 40% of
the respondents said there is proper parking facilities are available.

Chart 4.12
Opinion on availability of Proper Parking facilities

40

Yes
No

60

39
 Table 4.13
Level of satisfaction in visit
Opinion No of Respondents Percentage
Highly Satisfied 25 50
Satisfied 19 38
Dissatisfied 4 8
Highly Dissatisfied 2 10
Total 50 100
Source: Primary data

Interpretation: From the above figures, it can be seen that, majority (50%) of the
respondents are highly satisfied with their visit to Banasura. 38% of them are
satisfied, 10% of them are highly dissatisfied and rest 8% of them are highly
dissatisfied with their visit.

Chart 4.13
Level of satisfaction in visit

50
50
45 38
40
35
Percentage

30
25
20
15 10
8
10
5
0
Highly Satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied Highly
Dissatisfied
Level of satisfaction

40
 Table 4.14
Opinion on KSEB get benefits by Hydel tourism

Opinion No of Respondents Percentage

Yes 37 74
No 13 26
Total 50 100
Source: Primary data

Interpretation: From the above figures, it can be seen that, majority (74%) of the
respondents opinioned that KSEB gets benefits through Hydel Tourism. 26% of them
oppose this opinion.

Chart 4.14
Opinion on KSEB get benefits by Hydel tourism

26

Yes
No

74

41
 Table 4.15
Importance of Hydel Tourism in Kerala
Opinion No of Respondents Percentage
Very important 35 70
Important 10 20
Not important 5 10
None of the above 0 0
Total 50 100
Source: Primary data

Interpretation: From the above figures, it can be seen that, majority (70%) of the
respondents said that Hydel Tourism is very important in Kerala. 20% of them
marked it as important, and rest 10% of them opinioned Hydel tourism is not
important in Kerala.

Chart 4.15
Importance of Hydel Tourism in Kerala

80
70
70

60

50
Percentage

40

30
20
20
10
10
0
0
Very important Important Not important None of the above
Level of importance

42
 Table 4.16
Factors affecting Hydel Tourism
Factors No of Respondents Percentage
Rain 12 24
Water Capacity 8 16
Operation power factor 10 20
All of the above 20 40
Total 50 100
Source: Primary data

Interpretation: From the above figures, it can be seen that, majority (40%) of the
respondents marked Rain, Water Capacity and Operation power these, all together
are the factors which affects Hydel Tourism. 24% of them marked Rain, 20% of them
marked operation power factors and rest 16% of them marked Water Capacity as the
factors affecting Hydel tourism.

Chart 4.16
Factors affecting Hydel Tourism

40
40
35
30
24
Percentage

25 20
20 16

15
10
5
0
Rain Water Capacity Operation power All of the above
factor
Factors

43
 Table 4.17
Impacts of Hydel Tourism
Impacts No of Respondents Percentage
Water pollution 22 44
Sand pollution 2 4
Environmental issues 18 36
Other Problems 8 16
Total 50 100
Source: Primary data

Interpretation: From the above figures, it can be seen that, majority (44%) of the
respondents opinioned that, Water Pollution as the main impact of Hydel Tourism.
36% of them opinioned it as environmental issues, and rest 16% of them marked other
problems as the impact of Hydel Tourism.

Chart 4.17
Impacts of Hydel Tourism

44
45
40 36
35
30
Percentage

25
20 16
15
10 4
5
0
Water pollution Sand pollution Environmental Other Problems
issues
Impacts

44
 Table 4.18
Opinion on development of Hydel Tourism
Opinion No of Respondents Percentage
Increasing 46 92
Decreasing 4 8
Total 50 100
Source: Primary data

Interpretation: From the above figures, it can be seen that, majority (92%) of the
respondents opinioned Hydel tourism is increasing day by day, 8% of them oppose
with this opinion.

Chart 4.18
Opinion on development of Hydel Tourism

Increasing
Decreasing

92

45
 Table 4.19
Opinion on Revenue of Banasura Sagar dam
Opinion No of Respondents Percentage
10 Lakhs 2 4
20 Lakhs 9 18
30 Lakhs 25 50
50 Lakhs and above 14 28
Total 50 100
Source: Primary data

Interpretation: From the above figures, it can be seen that, majority (50%) of the
respondents opinioned that, the average annual revenue generated by Banasura Sagar
Dam is about 30 lakh. 28% of them opinioned it as 50 Lakhs and above, 18% of them
marked it as 20 Lakhs and rest 4% of them marked 10 Lakhs as average annual
revenue of Banasura Sagar Dam.

Chart 4.19
Opinion on Revenue of Banasura Sagar dam

50
50
45
40
35 28
Percentage

30
25 18
20
15
10 4
5
0
10 Lakhs 20 Lakhs 30 Lakhs 50 Lakhs and
above
Opinion

46
 Table 4.20
Influence of Hydel tourism in local peoples
Opinion No of Respondents Percentage
Job Opportunity 15 30
Changing Lifestyles 10 20
Income Increases 6 12
All of the above 19 38
Total 50 100
Source: Primary data

Chart 4.20
Influence of Hydel tourism in local peoples

40 38

35
30
30

25
Percentage

20
20

15 12
10

0
Job Opportunity Changing Lifestyles Income Increases All of the above
Options

Interpretation: From the above figures, it can be seen that, majority (38%) of the
respondents opinioned that, Job Opportunity, Changing Life Style and income
increases are all together for the question on influence of Hydel tourism in local
peoples. 30% of them marked it as job opportunities, 20/5 of them marked it as
changing life styles and rest 12% of them marked it as income increase as the
influential factor of Hydel tourism in Local people.

47
 CHAPTER V
FINDINGS, SUGGESTIONS AND CONCLUSION
5.1 FINDINGS
1. Majority of the respondents are Males.
2. Majority of the respondents are under the age category of 21-40 years age
group.
3. Majority of the respondents are private employees. 26% of them are students.
4. Majority of the respondents are marked graduation as their qualification.
5. Majority of the respondents marked for leisure as the purpose of their visit.
6. Majority of the respondents chosen Banasura Sagar Dam because of the
beautiful scenery over there.
7. Majority of the respondents are highly satisfied with the opinion that,
Banasura Sagar Dam utilize resources optimally.
8. Majority of the respondents marked parking as the main problem they are
facing while visiting this destination.
9. Majority of the respondents opinioned that Banasura Sagar Dam is secured
enough.
10. Majority of the respondents opinioned, unemployment, decrease in the number
of tourists, and decrease in revenue these all together are the impact of Covid
19 in Hydel Tourism.
11. Majority of the respondents marked boating as their favourite activity at
Banasura Sagar Dam.
12. Majority of the respondents marked; there is improper parking facilities
available at Banasura.
13. Majority of the respondents are highly satisfied with their visit to Banasura.
14. Majority of the respondents opinioned that KSEB gets benefits through Hydel
Tourism.
15. Majority of the respondents said that Hydel Tourism is very important in
Kerala.
16. Majority of the respondents marked Rain, Water Capacity and Operation
power these, all together are the factors which affects Hydel Tourism.
17. Majority of the respondents opinioned that, Water Pollution as the main
impact of Hydel Tourism.
18. Majority of the respondents opinioned Hydel tourism is increasing day by day,

48
19. Majority of the respondents opinioned that, the average annual revenue
generated by Banasura Sagar Dam is about 30 lakh.
20. Majority of the respondents opinioned that, Job Opportunity, Changing Life
Style and income increases are all together for the question on influence of
Hydel tourism in local peoples.

49
5.2 SUGGESTIONS

1. Government should aware both public and local peoples about the importance

of Hydel tourism as well its benefits.

2. Tourism department should ensure the pollution is under control and take

necessary initiatives to overcome from pollutions.

3. Department should maintain the gardens daily and create more beautiful

sceneries to attract more visitors.

4. It should make more parking space which leads to attain more customers,

because most of the respondents are dissatisfied with current parking system.

5. More cuisines which provide traditional foods should be established, food is

also an integral part of the betterment of every tourist destinations.

6. More Hydel activities should be included and the existing activities can be

improved to get more visitors.

7. It can create more affordable packages to enjoy Hydel tourism. Currently,

each activity has separate fees, so it can be changed to a package which

includes more than one activity.

8. Department should also ensure the security of visitors by providing more

guards and there should be grievance redressal office.

50
5.3 CONCLUSION

In the early days, the Department of Power was not able to attract tourists, but
later the Department of Power was able to visualize the activities that attract tourists
in the form of Hydel Tourism. There are now more than ten Hydel Tourist Centers
operating under the Department of Power. A visit to the dam, a visit to the power
house and a boat trip are some of the activities offered by the Department of Power at
the Hydel Tourist Centers. It is estimated that the power department earns around Rs
1.5 crore per month from this. But as new concept, it has to be improved as the
department requirements. As per our study, the current obstacles hindering hydel
tourism from growth has been identified. So as per the suggestions it can be improved
to more familiar and profitable tourism concept.

51
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BLIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS

 C R Head, M J McWilliams (1989), Hydro-power and Tourism. Sterling

Publishers Private Limited. New Delhi.

 Bhatra. G. S.. & Chawla. A. S., (2001), Tourism Management, A Global

Prospective. Deep & Deep Publishers Private Limited, New Delhi.

 Marcus Bauer (2007), Responsible Tourism in Wayanad , Kanishka

Publishers, Distributers, New Delhi

 Chris Ryan (1995), Researching Tourist Satisfaction, Issues, Concepts,

Problems; published by Rout Ledge London & Newyork

 C. R. Kothari (1985), Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques, New

age international Pvt ltd, Bengaluru, Karnataka

WEBSITES

 https://www.keralahydeltourism.com

 http://www.keralatourism.org

 https://www.kseb.in

 www.wayanadtourism.com

 https://en.wikipedia.org

 http://www.banasura.com

 www.researchgate.in
APPENDIX
 APPENDIX
QUESTIONAIRE
SCOPE OF HYDEL TOURISM AN OVERVIEW WITH BANASURA SAGAR
DAM

Name :
………………………………………………………………………………………......
Gender :
Male Female Transgender
Age:
Below 20 21-40 41-60
Above 60
Occupation:
Self Government Private
Housewife Student
Educational Qualification:
………………………………………………………………………………………
1. What is the purpose your travel?
Leisure Study Passion
None of the above
2. Why did you choose Banasura sagar dam?
Beautiful scenery Budget friendly Nearest location
None of the above
3. What is your opinion about utilisation of available resources in Banasura sagar
dam?
Highly Satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied
Highly dissatisfied
4. What are the problem you faced during the visit?
Parking Safety Waste management
Other problems
5. Do you think Banasura sagar dam has enough security?
Yes No
6. What are the impacts don by covid pandemic situation in in hydel tourism?
Decrease in number of tourist
Decrease in revenue
Unemployment
All of the above
7. Which is your favourite activity in Banasura Sagar dam?
Boating Fishing Park
Other Fecilities
8. Is there a proper parking facilities in Banasura sagar dam?
Yes No
9. Are you satisfied in visiting Banasura sagar dam?
Very Satisfied Satisfied Average
Dissatisfied
10. Do you think KSEB get more benefits through the hydel tourism?
Yes No
11. How important is the hydel tourism project for Kerala?
Important Very important Not important
None of the above
12. What are the factors affect hydel tourism?
Rain Water capacity Operation power factor
All of the above
13. Impacts of hydel tourism in Banasura sagar dam?
Water pollution Sand pollution Environment issues
other problem
14. Beast season for visiting Banasura sagar dam?
Spring Summer Fall
Winder
15. What is your opinion about development of hydel tourism in every year?
Increasing Decreasing
16. Revenue of Banasura sagar dam pre year?
10 lakh 20 lakh 30 lakh
50 lakh above
17. Influence of hydel tourism in local people around the Banasura saga dam?
New job opportunity
Change in life style
Income increase
All of the above