Owners of damaged houseboats in Srinagar demand rehabilitation

Srinagar, Oct 30 (IANS) Owners of damaged houseboats in Srinagar on Saturday staged a protest seeking rehabilitation of 72 families living in such boats.

Owners of houseboats on the Jhelum River held the protest in city centre, Lal Chowk.

Damaged Houseboat Owners Association President Noor Muhammad said that the Tourism Department had registered their houseboats in 2018 and promised to provide them rehabilitation at Nowgam.

"As winter is approaching, our houseboats are not in a fit condition for us to live in.

"These houseboats will sink anytime as no one from us has repaired any boat and the tourism authorities have now deregistered our boats," he said.

"We went to DC (Deputy Commissioner), Srinagar, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir and an order for rehabilitation has been already issued, but no further process had taken place," he added.