Alappuzha: The 70th annual Nehru Trophy Boat Race will be held on August 10 (the second Saturday of the month) at Punnamada Lake. The decision was made during the executive committee meeting of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR) Society held at the Collectorate Conference Hall on Thursday. The 69th NTBR was won by Veeyupuram Chundan belonging to the Pallathuruthy Boat Club. No race was held in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID restrictions. The Pallathurthy Boat Club is on a winning spree, having won the prestigious event for four years in a row now, from 2018 to 2023. An estimated two lakh people, including foreigners, watch the renowned boat race, making it one of the largest sports spectacles globally. 

A green festival in 2023
In 2023, 72 boats participated in the race including 19 snake boats (chundan vallams). The categories were Iruttukuthi B Grade, Iruttu Kuthi A Grade, Veppu A and B grade, Churulan, Thekkanodi Thara and Thekkanodi Kettu boats. The event used modern starting and photo-finish systems to determine winners. NTBR was also a 'green fest' last year, with around 135 personnel of Haritha Karma Sena deployed at various points to prevent plastics and other non-biodegradable materials from polluting the venue. 

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