Jhelum houseboat owners fear water transport plan may damage Srinagar’s river heritage

SRINAGAR: J&K government’s plan to launch inland water transport on the Jhelum river has triggered concern among Srinagar’s houseboat owners, who fear that regular passenger boats, cruise tourism operations and dredging along National Waterway-49 could further weaken the remaining river houseboats, a fear sharpened by the recent sinking of Queen’s Club, a British-era-style houseboat that served as both home and livelihood for a family on the river.

For Ghulam Qadir Ghasi, 65, Queen’s Club was never only a tourism asset or a four-bedroom houseboat; it was the inheritance of his father and grandfather and the centre of a life shaped by the Jhelum. In the early hours of May 21, Ghasi and his family were asleep on the houseboat, which was hosting two tourist couples and a freelance journalist, when his son noticed water rushing in and the family realised the boat was sinking

Ghasi blamed the growing movement of motorised boats on the Jhelum for weakening the houseboat over time, saying waves generated by speeding boats repeatedly struck the lower portions of the structure, damaged wooden planks and bindings, and allowed water to seep in.

His loss has become a point of reference for other houseboat owners as the J&K government prepares to implement the inland water transport project in collaboration with the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), with officials saying the project is meant to promote sustainable and modern water transport, boost cruise tourism and develop navigational infrastructure across Jammu and Kashmir’s waterways.

A major component of the plan is National Waterway-49, a nearly 76km river corridor from Pantha Chowk in Srinagar to Wullar Lake in Bandipora, where construction of eight floating jetties was underway and expected to be completed by July 2026. Shore infrastructure was targeted for completion by July 2027, navigational aids were scheduled to be installed by July 2026, and fairway maintenance was being carried out jointly by IWAI and the J&K government through dredging operations, while IWAI was also procuring 10 hybrid electric boats, each capable of carrying 20 passengers.

Khursheed Peer, a Jhelum houseboat resident who has spent much of his life in France, said authorities had failed to consult the community before finalising the water transport project.

Manzoor Ahmad Pakhtoon, president of All Kashmir Houseboat Owners Association, said many of the surviving houseboats on the Jhelum dated back to the British era and were part of Srinagar’s river heritage. He said the government surveys conducted in 2002 had identified around 82 houseboats on the Jhelum and proposed alternative locations for owners, but those plans were never implemented. “We are not against the government’s ambitious water transport services in Kashmir Valley from Pantha Chowk, but houseboats and their owners need safeguards,” he said.

Divisional commissioner, Kashmir, Anshul Garg, told TOI, “The administration has received several applications from houseboat associations. These applications are under consideration, and no decision has been taken so far. The project is still a few months away, and a decision on houseboats in Jhelum will be taken before its implementation.”