Clearing apprehensions about the state of houseboats and shikaras in Kashmir, Parvez, Tourism Director, Kashmir spoke about these tourist attractions at the recently concluded Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI) Convention in Srinagar. Excerpts:
“The houseboat and shikara are our USPs, symbols of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Tourism. If these go, we lose our tourists. However, they are facing threats. Our Dal Lake is experiencing a BOD and COD demand increase, leading us to watch the quality of water. The High Court of J&K has taken a very serious note of the pollution of the lake, and it is not only the houseboat that is contributing to it. The Court has taken over the legal custody of the lake for its conservation plan. A holistic plan has been conceived by the government and the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) to regain the lost glory of the famous Dal Lake. With water master machines, six harvester machines, two transporter barges, four skimmer machines, two crawl cat and truxor machines, the authorities have geared up to keep the lake clean. We are very much in favor of not losing houseboats, our heritage and Dal Lake’s character.
Houseboats and the Dal Lake are synonymous. This lake is our biggest asset and its conservation is our priority. We have been in dialogue with the Houseboat Owners Association to devise a methodology. These days technology is not deficient. We have invited two companies who will be demonstrating how their waste goes into the bio-digestive toilet sewage system so the water of Dal Lake is not polluted. We have taken serious note of these problems. I have spoken with my Advocate General about inviting foreign companies for the same and he has advised that the department will direct the concerned departments to fund houseboats if we come up with a solution.
After the High Court’s decision, we have plans to take houseboats to other lakes as well such as Manasbal and Wullar, and to rivers. We are looking at deploying the Dunga Cruise in the valley’s rivers too. In addition, we have constructed two dockyards for repair of houseboats. Tourists are also looking for cleanliness and hygiene in houseboats, issues which will be addressed. We have classified houseboats in deluxe, A, B and C categories. The government has formed a committee to classify each tourist unit before February of each year, notifying their tariffs and classifying their services and providing them on e-portal and websites. Our travel communities are also in sync with the government.”
