SRINAGAR, by Peerzada Arshad Hamid Indian-controlled Kashmir, March 16- It is a sunny day in Srinagar city and an unusual calm has overtaken the world famous Dal Lake. The rays of overlooking sun reflecting on the calm waters of serene lake no more get disturbed by the otherwise roving shikaras, or small boats, carrying tourists to houseboats.
Zaffar Bashir, a houseboat owner, is somewhat worried. For him the calmness is going to bring misfortunes to hundreds of the people in his community.
Bashir's worry is the decree announced by the High Court in Indian-controlled Kashmir asking houseboat owners to shut down until they find an alternative to the waste disposal. The Court held the houseboats responsible for polluting the lake after taking cognizance of a recent report submitted by region's Pollution Control Board, which stated that the open lavatories and refuse from kitchens of the houseboats is a major source of pollution in the lake.
Around 1,200 houseboat are marooned on Dal Lake in Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir. Promoted as the picture of an ideal Kashmir holiday, houseboats is a major attraction for tourists for night stays.
Introduced by the British, Kashmir houseboats are made of seasoned cedar wood often having decorated ceilings of Khatamband, which is a traditional wood work. Depending upon the size of the boat, each houseboat at least has a spacious drawing room, a dining room and two to three spacious bedrooms.
Each bedroom has a dressing room and a bathroom attached to it. A wooden staircase leads tourists to the deck of the boat, from where they can view the vast expanse of water and snowcapped tall mountains surrounding the lake.
The court directed the houseboat owners to take measures to handle solid and liquid wastes according to the guidelines of Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) -- a department responsible for controlling pollution in the lake. The ban would continue to be in force until the guidelines are met.
This summer the houseboats anticipate bleak future as the court order implement by government agencies is likely to hit their business. Tourists have started canceling their bookings in houseboats following the court order.
"You know that for the last two decades because of insurgency and violence in the region, our businesses were worst hit. Now with government saying that levels of violence have gone down, things had started to come on track. I had received advance bookings for the whole month of March and the occupancy was expected to rise in coming season. But alas! We are going to lose this promising season too," said Bashir sitting on the deck of his houseboat and occasionally looking at the vast expanse of water and picturesque mountains surrounding the lake.
Last year tourist season suffered a dent following the disagreement over land transfer to a Hindu shrine board saw uprising in the region.
Already there is a widespread concern in the Kashmir valley over the deterioration of Dal Lake and the increasing levels of pollution in its waters. So far enormous funds have been spent on the Dal conservation and allied programs, however there has been no visible improvement in the condition of the lake.
Environmentalists have been crying hoarse about the shrinking of Dal Lake. They say the lake is ailing and crawling towards an immature death. They have even accused government of indifference and held it responsible for the doom of lake.
Environmentalists have heaved a sigh of relief over the High Court's move and see it as a step towards preservation of the lake.
The High Court has been hearing the case over Dal Lake since 2002, after a law student Syed Iqbal Tahir Jeelani filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the court seeking preservation of the lake.
"This is good move and houseboats have to adhere to their court ruling. They have to desist from discharging their effluents directly into the lake. They can't raise their economy at the cost of environment," said Kouser Hussain, an environmentalist.
Houseboat owners see the act as a closure of their age old businesses. They argue that the move would seriously hit tourism in the Kashmir Valley.
"The court order will create a livelihood problem, not just for the houseboat owners, but also for thousands of people depending directly or indirectly on tourists they host," said Houseboat Owners Association Chairman Muhammad Azim Tuman.
Though the court order exempts the houseboats that find alternatives to dumping discharge into the lake but as of now no houseboat has found such an alternative. LAWDA is exploring the possibilities of installing mini-sewage treatment plants on the boats. Four models of mini-sewage treatment plants (STPs) have been short-listed for trial.
"For this system to work, we need a full tourist season to test their efficacy. After this many houseboats may find the recommended STP's expensive. Since there are around 1,200 houseboats, we want to have a system that will be in place and function in a very cost-effective manner," said Sabah-u-Solim, a scientist with LAWDA
Until something feasible comes up, Bashir's worries are likely to increase by the mid-summer.
Zaffar Bashir, a houseboat owner, is somewhat worried. For him the calmness is going to bring misfortunes to hundreds of the people in his community.
Bashir's worry is the decree announced by the High Court in Indian-controlled Kashmir asking houseboat owners to shut down until they find an alternative to the waste disposal. The Court held the houseboats responsible for polluting the lake after taking cognizance of a recent report submitted by region's Pollution Control Board, which stated that the open lavatories and refuse from kitchens of the houseboats is a major source of pollution in the lake.
Around 1,200 houseboat are marooned on Dal Lake in Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir. Promoted as the picture of an ideal Kashmir holiday, houseboats is a major attraction for tourists for night stays.
Introduced by the British, Kashmir houseboats are made of seasoned cedar wood often having decorated ceilings of Khatamband, which is a traditional wood work. Depending upon the size of the boat, each houseboat at least has a spacious drawing room, a dining room and two to three spacious bedrooms.
Each bedroom has a dressing room and a bathroom attached to it. A wooden staircase leads tourists to the deck of the boat, from where they can view the vast expanse of water and snowcapped tall mountains surrounding the lake.
The court directed the houseboat owners to take measures to handle solid and liquid wastes according to the guidelines of Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) -- a department responsible for controlling pollution in the lake. The ban would continue to be in force until the guidelines are met.
This summer the houseboats anticipate bleak future as the court order implement by government agencies is likely to hit their business. Tourists have started canceling their bookings in houseboats following the court order.
"You know that for the last two decades because of insurgency and violence in the region, our businesses were worst hit. Now with government saying that levels of violence have gone down, things had started to come on track. I had received advance bookings for the whole month of March and the occupancy was expected to rise in coming season. But alas! We are going to lose this promising season too," said Bashir sitting on the deck of his houseboat and occasionally looking at the vast expanse of water and picturesque mountains surrounding the lake.
Last year tourist season suffered a dent following the disagreement over land transfer to a Hindu shrine board saw uprising in the region.
Already there is a widespread concern in the Kashmir valley over the deterioration of Dal Lake and the increasing levels of pollution in its waters. So far enormous funds have been spent on the Dal conservation and allied programs, however there has been no visible improvement in the condition of the lake.
Environmentalists have been crying hoarse about the shrinking of Dal Lake. They say the lake is ailing and crawling towards an immature death. They have even accused government of indifference and held it responsible for the doom of lake.
Environmentalists have heaved a sigh of relief over the High Court's move and see it as a step towards preservation of the lake.
The High Court has been hearing the case over Dal Lake since 2002, after a law student Syed Iqbal Tahir Jeelani filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the court seeking preservation of the lake.
"This is good move and houseboats have to adhere to their court ruling. They have to desist from discharging their effluents directly into the lake. They can't raise their economy at the cost of environment," said Kouser Hussain, an environmentalist.
Houseboat owners see the act as a closure of their age old businesses. They argue that the move would seriously hit tourism in the Kashmir Valley.
"The court order will create a livelihood problem, not just for the houseboat owners, but also for thousands of people depending directly or indirectly on tourists they host," said Houseboat Owners Association Chairman Muhammad Azim Tuman.
Though the court order exempts the houseboats that find alternatives to dumping discharge into the lake but as of now no houseboat has found such an alternative. LAWDA is exploring the possibilities of installing mini-sewage treatment plants on the boats. Four models of mini-sewage treatment plants (STPs) have been short-listed for trial.
"For this system to work, we need a full tourist season to test their efficacy. After this many houseboats may find the recommended STP's expensive. Since there are around 1,200 houseboats, we want to have a system that will be in place and function in a very cost-effective manner," said Sabah-u-Solim, a scientist with LAWDA
Until something feasible comes up, Bashir's worries are likely to increase by the mid-summer.
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