ALAPPUZHA: The 69th edition of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR) is set to grace Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha today, Saturday. The event will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at 2 p.m.

This year's race will feature a total of 72 boats, including 19 majestic chundan vallams (snakeboats), competing across nine categories. The race will commence with smaller boat competitions at 11 a.m., followed by the highly anticipated snakeboat race after the inauguration. The snakeboat contest will kick off with heats, from which the top four boats will advance to the final round for the prestigious Nehru Trophy, determined by their performance in five heats. To ensure precision, the regatta will employ modern starting and photo-finish systems.

To ensure the safety of the event, extensive security measures have been implemented in Alappuzha. Approximately 2,000 police and traffic personnel will be deployed on the day of the race.

Here is the schedule for the event on August 12:

11 a.m.: Commencement of NTBR with Iruttukuthi boat heats.
2 p.m.: Inauguration ceremony, followed by a mass drill at 2:30 p.m.
Heats of the snakeboat races.

From 4 p.m.: Finals of all boat categories, including the snake boats, will take place.

Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas will preside over the event, which will see the presence of dignitaries such as Kerala High Court Chief Justice Ashish Jitendra Desai, Ministers P. Prasad, Saji Cherian, M.B. Rajesh, Veena George, and V. Abdurahiman, among others.

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