The largest, most luxurious boats on Dal Lake do not traverse its waters.
Its “houseboats” stay put.
In most cases their keels are grounded.
However, in the event of high floodwaters, the houseboats eventually also rise – they float, and thus escape being “flooded”.
The grandest of them – such as the pictured example – are “palatial”.
Elaborately carved woodwork is a signature feature.
Reportedly, Dal Lake once had around three thousand houseboats; some of them were not at all grand.
Whether “palaces” or “dumps”, their untreated waste went straight into “the jewel”.
Dal Lake’s “houseboats” currently number circa nine hundred.
Construction of new ones has been stopped.
Announcements have been made – more than once – of “urgent action” to “deal with” the long-running problem posed by their (lack of) waste management.
“Sound”, existing houseboats are currently “legal”, subject to conditions as to their maintenance and the addressing of the waste management “issues”.
Past performance, alas, is likely to prove the best guide to the actual “urgent action”.
To date, the story of Dal Lake’s purported rehabilitation effort could be summarised in four words: “too little, too late”.
(to which, one could add “…and too easily corrupted”)
Photo is copyright Doug Spencer, taken at 5.52 pm on 04 May 2024. The pictured tourists were living it up in one of the busiest stretches of Dal Lake, a short distance from the bustling, urban Srinagar shore.
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