Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Dec 26: Two heritage houseboats – Humayun Palace and Young Golden Palace – were gutted in an early morning inferno in the waters of Dal Lake at Nehru Park here. The cost of the houseboats was Rs 3 crore each.
Ghulam Rasool Siyah, who is the chairman of Houseboat Owners Association, told Excelsior that today morning at6:30 am fire emerged from Humayun Palace and within no time engulfed whole of the houseboat. He said the fire also spread to the adjoining Young Golden Palace Houseboat and gutted both of them completely. A domestic couple and two foreign tourist ladies were present in the houseboats respectively but were rescued on time, he said.
“After the fire, we rang up motorboat of Fire and Emergency Services but we were told that the boat is not functioning and is lying at Dalgate. It was only due to the efforts of locals and 144 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel that the fire was doused and other houseboats were saved from blaze,” Siyah said.
Siyah further said that both houseboats cost 3 crore rupees each and were 35 years old. “These were heritage houseboats and were having 3 double bed accommodation along with dining halls and sitting rooms respectively,” he said. While as Humayun Palace is owned by Bashir Ahmad, the Young Golden Palace is owned by Javaid Ahmad Shalla.
The houseboats are the main tourist attraction in Srinagar’s Dal Lake. There was no loss of life or injuries to anyone in the blaze. To assess the damage, the Director Tourism Mehmood A Shah along with his deputy rushed to the spot and sympathized with the owners. They said the Tourism department will extend all possible help to the affected and also will give consent to the reconstruction.
Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) chairman, Showkat Chowdhary meanwhile accused the government of ignoring the houseboat owners. “The government has adopted the policy of ignoring the houseboats and their owners. Earlier we had 1900 houseboats but now they have shrunk to 750. They are directing them to move to isolated places and as a result end the importance of houseboats vis-à-vis tourism,” he alleged.
He sought compensation for the affected owners and urged government to facilitate the reconstruction of the houseboats on priority basis.
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