Inbound

Kashmir tourism's hallmark on verge of extinction

Jyoti Koul - New Delhi

The hallmark of Kashmir's tourism - its houseboats - is dying an unnatural death, thanks to the state government and the bureaucratic policies. Houseboats owner claim that despite making demands for a dry dockyard where they can repair their houseboats, the government has not paid any heed.

According to them, they have no facility to repair the bottom of a houseboat, which if left unattended might jeopardise their own as well as tourist safety. Repairing a houseboat costs about Rs 3 lakh, which includes expensive timber.

There are currently about 850 houseboats and they contribute about 3,000 rooms across segments in the state's hospitality industry. Unfortunately, this is declining as houseboat owners are opting out of this 150-year-old business because there is no support from the government.

Says Azim Tuman, chairman of Houseboat Owners Association of Jammu & Kashmir, "Our survival is very difficult and things have become worse. Of the huge package announced by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the allocation of Rs 10 crore was earmarked for the houseboat segment. But till now we have not received anything. We are running from the pillar to post but nobody is listening." Appealing to the government, he adds, "The Central government is our only hope. It will be a national loss if the industry perishes. We urge the government of India to save this industry."

In the same year Farooq Abdullah, then CM, had also announced a rehabilitation package, which the owners claim have not come through. "We are suffering due to bureaucratic policies. The only person who tried to pay attention to our problems was former chief minister, Mufti M Sayeed and he agreed to make a dry dockyard available. He even sanctioned money for this but it never reached us. We have been asking the state's tourism department and their answer is that they have given Rs 20 lakh to Lakes & Water Ways Development Authority (LWWDA) but LWWDA refuses the same." The state tourism and LWWDA officials were unavailable for comments.