Srinagar: As the much-anticipated water transport system in Srinagar is under evaluation and is expected to be operational soon, the houseboat owners and their association have demanded the rehabilitation of houseboats on the Jhelum River and Tsoont Kol.
Houseboat owners said they have been demanding rehabilitation for a long time but are being ignored. Now, with the water transport system set to begin, they are calling for immediate rehabilitation.
The houseboat owners and their association said that it is a positive step that water transport will be introduced in Srinagar, and they welcome the move.
However, they also demand immediate rehabilitation, as the waves from water transport will damage their houseboats.
Gulzar Ahmad, a houseboat owner said they (houseboat owners) have been demanding rehabilitation for a long time but have been ignored. “We want immediate rehabilitation, and once the water transport system is introduced, our boats will be damaged, as the high tides will impact our houseboats, and they might even sink,” he said.
“We have been calling upon the administration for many years, but we are continuously being ignored. We feel like a neglected community and nobody is paying attention to us,” said Rafiq Ahmad, another houseboat owner.
He added that with the new government in place and discussions about water transport ongoing, they request the Chief Minister and other authorities to rehabilitate them.
Manzoor Ahmad Pakhtoon, Chairman of the Houseboat Owners Association (HBOA), said that they demand the rehabilitation of houseboats from the Jhelum River and Tsoont Kol.
“We also met MLA Zadibal, Tanvir Sadiq and discussed the issue of rehabilitation, along with our long-pending concerns affecting the houseboat industry,” he said.
