Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, Sep 20: On Srinagar’s Nigeen and Jhelum lakes, silence has replaced the laughter of tourists. The beautiful houseboats, once the pride of Kashmir’s hospitality, now float deserted, their owners struggling to survive after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed many tourists.
Mohammad Yaqoob Dungoo, a renowned houseboat owner, says this is the hardest period he has ever witnessed in his lifetime.
“From April 22 till now, I have had only one booking worth Rs 1,500. After that, nothing. Even in the 1990s, when the situation was worst in Kashmir, we still had some work. But this time, we are finished,” Dungoo said.
Dungoo said his family is suffering deeply. “I have three children, and my brother has two. We are unable to pay school fees. My children stayed home for over a month because we did not have admission money,” he said.
“The school finally agreed because the principal knew me — I too had studied there. But not everyone is that fortunate,” he added.
Dungoo said houseboats require expensive annual repairs. “Each houseboat needs at least Rs 1.2 lakh every year just for maintenance and caulking. But right now, we can’t even manage basic household expenses, let alone repairs,” he said.
The Kashmir Houseboat Owners Association said that the crisis is rippling across the sector. “Out of over 3,000-plus rooms across 750 houseboats, only 30 to 40 are occupied. The rest are empty,” said its chairman, Manzoor Ahmad Pakthoon, adding that staff have been laid off and families have no income.
Dungoo said the situation has pushed many families to the brink. “We are not asking for luxuries. We just want enough to pay fees, buy books for our children and feed our families. Right now, we cannot do even that,” he said.
Shikara operators and shopkeepers around Dal Lake said they too are badly affected. “No tourists means no rides, no buyers. Everyone linked to tourism, from vendors to artisans, is suffering,” said a local shopkeeper.
It is worth mentioning that the government’s decision to close 46 tourist destinations for security reasons has further added to the slump. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah earlier termed the ban “counterproductive,” saying it undermines the Valley’s tourism promotion campaigns.
Notably, the history of Kashmir’s tourism sector has been chilling. In 1995, foreign tourists were kidnapped in Pahalgam, and one of them was killed. In 2000, the Amarnath Yatra massacre claimed multiple lives in Pahalgam. In 2017, eight Amarnath pilgrims were killed in an Anantnag attack, and in 2025, over 25 tourists and a local guide were killed in Pahalgam — the deadliest attack in recent memory.
