Want to surrender licence, 134 Dal Lake houseboat owners tell officials
SRINAGAR: With a decline in tourism sector after August 5, last year, at least 134 houseboat owners have decided to surrender their boats and licences to the administration in Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar.
Of the 930 houseboats, owners of 134 have written to the administration that they will surrender their boats if the government provide them land at suitable places and construct structures like guest houses where they can live and also earn their livelihoods.
“As many as 134 houseboat owners have submitted an application to the administration stating that they want to surrender their boats,” said Abdul Rashid, general secretary, Houseboat Owners Association adding that numbers are likely to increase.
Introduced by the British before independence, these floating houses made of Deodar (Cedar) wood with carved walnut interiors have been an important part of Kashmir’s tourism sector.
The reason behind this move, Rashid said was the setback to tourism in Kashmir besides the ban on reconstruction of new boats for their alleged role in polluting
Dal Lake and other water bodies.
“The travel advisory requesting tourists and pilgrims to stay away from the region was the final nail in the coffin. This has hard hit the tourism in the Valley. We have discussed the matter with experts from the high court, J&K Lakes and Waterways Development Authority and tourism department,” he said.
A four-member committee of experts constituted under the supervision of the Jammu and Kashmir high court is monitoring the conservation of Dal Lake, where 800 of these houseboats are situated.mohammad Amin, one of the owners who decided to surrender his houseboat, said that there was no work since August. “I have a family to fend for. All my savings are exhausted. Since August 5, last year, there are just 7-8 entries in my log book,” he said.
Tourism nosedived last year after the government issued a travel advisory asking tourists and pilgrims to leave the Valley, a few days before the central government revoked the special status under Article 370 of the erstwhile state and split the region into two Union Territories on August 5.
For months, restrictions remained in place with no internet as the region remained shut.
Though the restrictions were later removed, lowspeed internet was restored and the travel advisory was revoked, there were hardly any tourists visiting the region since then.
Abdul Rashid said that many boats are in a dilapidated condition and when they seek permission from the tourism department and Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA), for its repair, the process takes years.
“Most houseboats were built between 1978 and 1984 and they have a lifespan of 60 years. All these are old and 50 to 80% are damaged. We can neither repair them on time nor reconstruct them into new ones. Going by the pace of decay, many houseboats will die in the next 20 years,” Rashid said.
Members of the houseboat association said that they have asked the administration to either allow them to repair their boats or provide them land where they can create a ‘tourist village’ by constructing hotels and earn a livelihood.
Director, tourism Nisar Wani said that the committee comprising high court experts has forwarded them the request of houseboat owners.“since the inflow of tourists is low and there is no business, the houseboat owners have sought rehabilitation. A policy will be put in place considering decision of all the concerned departments,” Wani said.