New Delhi, Sept. 9 -- The sun rises over Vembanad Lake like a golden promise. Mist curls above the water, and the first houseboats of the day glide out of Punnamada jetty, their decks alive with tourists sipping tender coconut water and snapping photos. To the untrained eye, it is a scene of serene beauty, a timeless postcard from Kerala's backwaters.

But beneath the glittering surface, the lake is suffocating. Vembanad, Kerala's largest wetland and a Ramsar site of global importance, is more than just a tourist attraction. It is the state's lifeline-absorbing floods, regulating water flow, nourishing paddy fields, and sustaining fisheries that feed thousands of families. Today, unchecked tourism, luxury houseboats, and decades of encroa...