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SRINAGAR: J&K government’s program to motorboat inland h2o transport connected the Jhelum stream has triggered interest among Srinagar’s houseboat owners, who fearfulness that regular rider boats, cruise tourism operations and dredging on National Waterway-49 could further weaken the remaining stream houseboats, a fearfulness sharpened by the caller sinking of Queen’s Club, a British-era-style houseboat that served arsenic some location and livelihood for a household connected the river.For Ghulam Qadir Ghasi, 65, Queen’s Club was ne'er lone a tourism plus oregon a four-bedroom houseboat; it was the inheritance of his begetter and gramps and the centre of a beingness shaped by the Jhelum. In the aboriginal hours of May 21, Ghasi and his household were dormant connected the houseboat, which was hosting 2 tourer couples and a freelance journalist, erstwhile his lad noticed h2o rushing successful and the household realised the vessel was sinkingGhasi blamed the increasing question of motorised boats connected the Jhelum for weakening the houseboat implicit time, saying waves generated by speeding boats repeatedly struck the little portions of the structure, damaged woody planks and bindings, and allowed h2o to seep in.His nonaccomplishment has go a constituent of notation for different houseboat owners arsenic the J&K authorities prepares to instrumentality the inland h2o transport task successful collaboration with the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), with officials saying the task is meant to beforehand sustainable and modern h2o transport, boost cruise tourism and make navigational infrastructure crossed Jammu and Kashmir’s waterways.
A large constituent of the program is National Waterway-49, a astir 76km stream corridor from Pantha Chowk successful Srinagar to Wullar Lake successful Bandipora, wherever operation of 8 floating jetties was underway and expected to beryllium completed by July 2026. Shore infrastructure was targeted for completion by July 2027, navigational immunodeficiency were scheduled to beryllium installed by July 2026, and fairway attraction was being carried retired jointly by IWAI and the J&K authorities done dredging operations, portion IWAI was besides procuring 10 hybrid electrical boats, each susceptible of carrying 20 passengers.Khursheed Peer, a Jhelum houseboat nonmigratory who has spent overmuch of his beingness successful France, said authorities had failed to consult the assemblage earlier finalising the h2o transport project.Manzoor Ahmad Pakhtoon, president of All Kashmir Houseboat Owners Association, said galore of the surviving houseboats connected the Jhelum dated backmost to the British epoch and were portion of Srinagar’s stream heritage. He said the authorities surveys conducted successful 2002 had identified astir 82 houseboats connected the Jhelum and projected alternate locations for owners, but those plans were ne'er implemented.
“We are not against the government’s ambitious h2o transport services successful Kashmir Valley from Pantha Chowk, but houseboats and their owners request safeguards,” helium said.Divisional commissioner, Kashmir, Anshul Garg, told TOI, “The medication has received respective applications from houseboat associations. These applications are nether consideration, and nary determination has been taken truthful far. The task is inactive a fewer months away, and a determination connected houseboats successful Jhelum volition beryllium taken earlier its implementation.”
