Alappuzha (Kerala), March 5 The 72nd Nehru Trophy Boat Race will be held on August 22 at the Punnamada Lake here, officials said on Thursday.
The race is a popular annual event that attracts large numbers of tourists from around the world to witness the competition.
The decision was made at a meeting of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR) Society Executive Committee, chaired by Alappuzha District Collector Alex Varghese, held at the Collectorate Conference Hall here on Thursday, according to an official release.
The committee noted that organizing the water festival during the Onam season would benefit spectators and tourists, including expatriates.
It was also decided to seek additional sponsors for this year's event and to complete the preparatory work well in advance.
The sponsorship categories and the budget will be finalized at the next meeting, the release said.
The meeting also decided to organize more charitable activities under the leadership of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race Society.
District Police Chief M P Mohanachandran, Municipal Chairperson Molly Jacob, former MLA C K Sadasivan, Irrigation Executive Engineer Vinod Kumar, executive committee members and officials attended the meeting.