Srinagar, November 01: Terming the Houseboat industry as symbol of heritage of Kashmir, young socio- Political activist Faisal Khankashi has expressed displeasure over its current condition.
He opined :”There was a time when houseboats were the biggest tourist attraction in Kashmir. But over the years, the industry has been quietly dying out and according to the houseboat owners, unless the policy-makers think seriously about regenerating this symbol of the region’s cultural heritage, there will soon be no houseboats at all on Dal Lake, leaving hundreds of households suffering.
“This is the real cultural heritage of Kashmir,” said Khankashi. “Houseboats created tourism in Kashmir and if the authorities want to preserve them for the next few centuries, it is high time for them to think seriously about working for the betterment of the industry. Simply setting up committees and making statements won’t work. We want the work on the ground to be done.”
Faisal Khankashi observed that In 1982, Jammu and Kashmir government banned the registration of new houseboats. Till that year, as per sources, Kashmir was home to approximately 3,500 houseboats. Now, that number is just 910. “The 910 houseboats are on Dal lake, Nigeen lake, China Bath and River Jhelum,” Khankashi said.
In 2010, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, the legal custodian of Dal Lake, banned all kinds of construction in the vicinity of the Dal, including the building of new houseboats. It advised the authorities not to renew the licenses of the houseboats without special permission. Because of this, owners found it almost impossible to maintain their houseboats.
He added if nothing changes, their grandchildren may not even know what houseboats look like. “We might have to show them a picture instead of a real houseboat,” he affirmed.
Nice Faisal keep doing good work you Are the hero