(EMAILWIRE.COM, March 21, 2009 ) Kashmir, India - The houseboats on Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir are a major tourist attraction and promoted as the picture of an ideal Kashmir holiday – now, they are under threat of closure after the Government introduced stringent policies to help cut down on pollution in the lake…
The stunning Dal Lake in the summer capital, Srinagar, is home to 1,200 intricately carved wooden tourist houseboats, which were first built in the 19th Century for British Raj officials seeking refuge from the heat.
Touted as the perfect Indian break- a week or two spent in one of one of these boats against the backdrop of snow-capped Himalayan peaks will be unforgettable.
The two and three bedroom Indian properties, which look like floating palaces, have become the poster-child of KashmirÂ’s tourist industry. But, whilst the lake may look gorgeous, it is heavily polluted, mainly by millions of litres of vile smelling untreated sewage.
The lake is also polluted by the old stock from the floating fruit and vegetable sellers, who toss rotten food into the water.
Now, the Government has launched new plans to crack down on this pollution and following a court order, they have asked houseboat owners to install expensive sewage treatment units on their boats within 90 days, or they will be forced to close them down.
Whilst this sounds a good idea in theory, the boat’s owners cannot afford the near £4,000 each unit may cost and are angered that the Government is not paying for the units to be installed themselves, as the boats are such a valuable tourist resource for the region.
The boats have survived for 150 years as a treasure trove for tourists despite years of heavy fighting in KashmirÂ’s militant insurgency.
Mohammed Azam Tuman, President of the Houseboats and Shikara Owners Association said that the new plans would devastate the tourism industry.
“The Government should pay for the sewage treatment units, or it should put all the 850 houseboats together and blow them up with one big bomb - our business is coming to an end,” he added.
Famous visitors to the boats include Beatle George Harrison, who visited in 1966 and more recently, Monty Python star and travel guru Michael Palin.
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