India’s ‘Jewel in the Crown’ sinking: Houseboats empty since April attack

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 told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), a cold sigh slipping from his lips.

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.