New houseboat draft policy a concern for stakeholders

M Aamir Khan

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 1

The unveiling of the new houseboat draft policy has raised concerns among stakeholders. Owners fear that the new policy will spell doom for the houseboats known as the “floating marvels” of the Dal and Nigeen lakes.

“Houseboats are the face of Kashmir, but unfortunately in 20 years, there will be no houseboats left. We expect the government to call a meeting of the stakeholders consisting of approximately 850 families,” said Kashmir Houseboats Owners Association (KHBOA) general secretary Abdul Rashid. He said this was a reaction to placing of the draft policy in the

public domain by the Tourism Department.

Under the new guidelines, no new houseboat will be allowed to be constructed in the Dal Lake or Nigeen Lake. Also, the houseboat owners will be able to register/renew their houseboats only after fulfilling certain conditions.

Sheikh Gowhar Ali, joint secretary general of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCC&I), said the houseboat owners and shikarawallas were already struggling since August last year when abrogation of Article 370 had thrown normal life out of gear.

“Difficult conditions are required to be fulfilled for the houseboats to be eligible for registration and operation. Due to the long lockdown, the tourism industry has been struggling to stay afloat. The financial and job losses have crippled the fragile sector. The introduction of the policy at a time when the government itself has extended a helping hand to the houseboat owners and Shikarawallas, the move has caused panic among the houseboat owners,” he said after a KCC&I meeting that was attended by several houseboat owners and the tourism sector stakeholders.

“At a time when most of the population was finding it difficult to earn livelihood and arrange food for their families, the reason for rushing through the houseboat policy was hard to comprehend,” he added.

Number dips to 900 from 1,500

• Houseboats in the past have attracted Indian film stars and other international celebrities like Beatles lead guitarist George Harrison, who have stayed in these.
• The number of houseboats in Srinagar’s waterbodies has dipped from 1,500 to 900.
• Houseboat owners say permissions for repairs and procurement of timbre remains a cumbersome task.