Traditionally, the backwaters are used by local people for transport, fishing, and agriculture.
Fed by the rivers, the backwaters are almost free of salty seawater.
Houseboats called kettuvallams are one of the prominent tourist attractions in Kerala.
More than 2000 kettuvallams ply the backwaters.
At some point in time the boats were used as living quarters by the royalty.
Some ketuvallams are motorised but generally proceed at a slow speed for smooth travel.
Sources:Wikipedia,About
