Srinagar: The houseboats within the Kashmir valley which can be famous everywhere in the world are slowly fading away. The numbers have gone down from 5000 houseboats to only 900. At this price, it’s being feared that they could quickly grow to be historical past.
The wealthy heritage of houseboats on water our bodies of Kashmir Valley has all the time been a giant vacationer attraction. The stakeholders have all the time known as it the ‘Jewel of Tourism Industry’ within the Kashmir Valley. But, greater than 40 per cent of houseboats have vanished within the final three a long time.
The cause individuals dwelling on the lake say is that they don’t get permission to restore the houseboats. They say that a large quantity of restore requests are pending with the government for the restoration of these houseboats and the endless wait has led to a lower within the numbers of these houseboats.
”There had been hundreds of houseboats throughout Srinagar in Dal Lake, Jhelum river, Chinar Bagh, and Nigeen. There was ‘dunga’, houseboats and ‘bahach’. The cause is that we do not get permission on time, we do not get timber. We have been asking the government for backed timber as a result of Kashmir tourism was hit. Before 1989, we by no means used to ask something from the government as a result of we had enterprise and now since we do not have a lot enterprise we’re asking for his or her assist. Government ought to come ahead to assist the neighborhood, there are solely 900 houseboats left and plenty of want restore and a spotlight from the government. Otherwise, within the coming days there could be no houseboats,” stated Tariq Patloo, a houseboat proprietor.
The houseboat house owners stated they’re being subjected to injustice by the government. They stated that hundreds of liters of sewage goes into Dal Lake day by day, and fewer than two to 3 per cent of air pollution is brought on by houseboats, however the whole blame is put on them.
”There will probably be a time when our grandchildren will learn in regards to the houseboats in books, as none would exist. If there are houseboats in Kashmir, the tourism trade is alive. The manner we transfer the oar whereas driving a ‘shikara’ is how we hold the water clear. You ought to see the previous photos of Chinar Bagh and see what number of houseboats there have been. Dal Lake has 600 houseboats, Nigeen has 195 and Chinar Bagh has 40 whereas the river could have 70. Slowly numbers are happening and the day it finishes, tourism will end too. They come right here for Shikara and houseboats. We say with delight that we personal houseboats. The government is aware of and even known as it heritage. The future era would blame us for not saving the heritage,” stated M Ashraf Badyari.
In 2009, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court had banned the restore and renovation of houseboats after the government advised the courtroom that houseboats had been the primary trigger of air pollution of water our bodies in Srinagar. The government had stated they’re working on a coverage to maintain the heritage alive.
