Flood scare: Safety gear given to shikarawalas

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 10

The tourism department, Kashmir, on Tuesday distributed rescue tubes among the shikarawalas at the Dal Lake for the safety of tourists and local visitors.

An official statement said life buoy rescue tubes were handed over to the registered shikarawalas by Kashmir tourism director Mahmood A Shah.

Stating that the shikarawalas were directed to keep the tubes fixed to their shikaras all the time, it said the department took the initiative in collaboration with the department of disaster management, relief and rehabilitation.

Shah said it was imperative for the shikarawalas and other boatmen to have safety equipment readily available so that the passengers could be rescued during any eventuality.

He said during the devastating 2014 floods, it was noticed that there was an acute dearth of such equipment and the recent flood scare also mandated that every shikara owner should have this equipment with them.

“It was mandatory to equip the shikarawalas with the rescue equipment as at times when the weather turns ugly, the shikaras can capsize. To address the issue, the department which is the registering authority, distributed these tubes among all shikarawalas to avoid any mishap and to ensure the safety of passengers and tourists,” Shah added.