Houseboats to vanish from Srinagar city?

The beautifully floating houseboats in Dal and other lakes in Srinagar city face near rout in the coming time thanks to state's government policy of banning further construction and repair of boats. The move has infuriated the boat owners as their livelihood is also on stake.

“There is no doubt that all the houseboats in the lakes will vanish in near future if the government does not change its pathetic attitude towards the houseboat industry.” Muhammad Azim Tuman, Chairman of Kashmir Houseboat Owners Association (KHBOA) tells TSI.

There are 1200 houseboats on the waters of Dal and Nigeen Lakes and in the river Jehlum. These moving wooden houses were originally constructed during the British rule in18th century.

Tuman is furious over the government policy of not allowing the owners to repair or renovate their damaged houseboats. The government has strictly banned not only the construction of new Houseboats but also the fixing up the damaged ones since 1980’s.

“There were more than three thousand houseboats in the Dal and Nigeen Lakes in 1980’s and now there are less than 1200. This is a clear indication that if the ban continues the existing boats too will die down and disappear from the water bodies.” says Tuman, who himself owns two houseboats in the Nigeen Lake since his great grandfather Gafar Tuman started the business in 1880.


“One of my houseboats is 70 years old and it needs immediate reconstruction otherwise I will loose it.” He adds.

Similarly, there are hundreds of other houseboats in the Dal and Nigeen Lakes which are at the verge of extinction and the owners are worried about their limited moveable properties.

People like Tuman are fighting for their rights since long but their demand got more energy after the recent cyclonic wind storm which damaged 187 houseboats.

Many silently oppose the existence of the houseboats in the lakes, saying the boats were the main reason for pollution in the lakes. But the houseboat owners categorically deny the charge.

“All the houseboats have installed mini-sewage treatment units so it is not the houseboats which are polluting the lake. The fact is that hotels in and around the shore of the lakes are releasing the sewage into the lakes. Besides, the sewage-drainage from some local residential areas is directly linked to the lakes.” said Tuman.

The houseboat owners have decided to go for a strike next month when the tourist season will be on its peak.

“In the recent meeting the association has decided to go for a strike in the month of May. No guests will be accommodated neither any Shikara (Water Taxi) will be kept available in the lakes for the tourists. This will be to put our demands loudly in front of the government.” an executive member of the KHBOA told TSI.


The government says that it is trying to look into the matter and a committee has been formed to find out the solutions to the problems of the houseboat industry.

“Actually it is the High Court which has banned the construction and the renovation of the houseboats but the government has formed a committee headed by the commissioner secretary of the tourism department to look into the matter. We will see what can be done after the committee gives its report.” Farooq Ahmad Shah, Director Tourism department told TSI.

But the houseboat owners believe that the government is only buying the time. “This is not a kind of problem which has surfaces just now. This is a decade’s long problem. Why has the government not come up with the solution? The fact of the matter is that they want the houseboat industry to fade away.” Gulam Muhammad Pakhtoon, who owns four houseboats, told TSI.

Notably, houseboats are the main attraction for the tourists in Dal and Nigeen lakes in Srinagar. Most of the tourists from across the country and abroad prefer to stay in these floating palaces during the summer holidays. There are five categories of houseboats based on the standard and facilities being provided to the guests, called Deluxe, A-Class, B-Class, C-Class and D-Class boats.


“The lake is the crown of the Srinagar city and houseboats are like its jewels. It will be a great lose to the Kashmir’s tourism industry if we loose these houseboats. I wonder why is the government so reluctant in this matter. In my opinion the authorities should allow the owners to repair, renovate and reconstruct their houseboats.” says Tariq Ali Mir, a journalist and the student of History.