Court warns violations will be viewed seriously;
Admin asked to submit roadmap on motorboats, jet skis and shikaras
Sopore|Nov, 2: The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has extended its restrictions on the operation of engine-powered boats in Dal Lake, directing that the ban on motorboats, jet skis and motorised shikaras shall remain in force until further orders.
Taking note of environmental concerns, pollution and the need to regulate tourism-related activities in the lake, the court has directed the administration to formulate a comprehensive policy governing the operation of different categories of boats and place it before the court by the next date of hearing.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati and Justice Yash Paul made it clear that any violation of its earlier directions prohibiting engine-powered vessels would be viewed seriously.
The court passed the directions while hearing the matter on Saturday, reiterating that no engine-powered boat, including motorised shikaras and jet skis, would be permitted to operate in Dal Lake until further orders.
The matter has been listed for further hearing on November 16.
During the proceedings, Senior Additional Advocate General Mohsin Qadri informed the court that the administration would come up with a tentative but comprehensive policy regulating boat operations in the lake. The proposed framework would also examine the possibility of shifting boats, shikaras and jet skis towards solar and electric energy.
The Bench directed the government counsel to submit a detailed roadmap reflecting the existing position of boat operations in Dal Lake, including the total number of motorboats, jet skis and shikaras permitted to operate, besides the number of motorised and non-motorised vessels.
The court also sought category-wise statistics of the boats along with their respective engine specifications to assess the scale and nature of mechanised operations in the water body.
Emphasising the need for an environmentally sustainable framework, the Bench said the proposed policy should incorporate expert recommendations on the proportion of the lake area that could be earmarked for traditional hand-rowed shikaras.
It also asked the administration to examine how the interests of other stakeholders, including operators of motorboats and jet skis, could be accommodated while maintaining environmental safeguards.
The court observed that Dal Lake holds a distinctive position as a valuable water body in Srinagar and said all relevant aspects, including environmental safety, pollution control and tourism, must be considered while framing the policy.
The restrictions were initially imposed last month when the High Court ordered the suspension of all fuel-powered motorboat operations on Dal Lake until further orders.
The Bench also took note of the petitioners’ earlier contention that there was discrimination in the boat industry operating in the lake, underscoring the need for a comprehensive and uniform regulatory framework.
Reiterating its earlier directions, the court said the prohibition on all engine-powered vessels would continue and cautioned that any breach of the order would invite serious consideration by the court.
