Malarikkal

Malarikkal’s Pink Bloom Draws Tourists, but Ecologists Warn of an Expanding Water Lily Threat

A two-year study commissioned for the Kerala State Biodiversity Board has found that the water lily spreading across Malarikkal after the 2018 floods has grown at an unprecedented and largely uncontrolled pace. While the seasonal bloom has turned the village into a tourism magnet and lifted incomes for farmers, boat operators and local residents, ecologists warn it may be disrupting aquatic plants, reducing sunlight penetration and altering water flow, with possible methane emissions from decaying biomass adding to the concern.