Stakeholders express grief over death of 3 tourists in Dal Lake blaze

Srinagar, Nov 11: Various tourist and trade organisations of Kashmir have expressed grief over the death of three tourists in a fire incident in Dal Lake today.
Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK) has expressed deep grief over the loss of lives of three tourists in an overnight fire incident in which five houseboats gutted in the Dal Lake.
TAAK President Rauf Tramboo said they are deeply saddened over the loss of lives.

“This is a heart wrenching incident and no words are enough to condole the families of deceased.“
He also urged the government to provide all sorts of assistance to the families of the deceased tourists in sending their bodies to their native places.
TAAK appealed to government to provide all sorts of compensation and assistance the affected owners of the houseboat.

TAAK further called upon government to keep modern firefighters stationed at both Dal and Nigeen Lake for the safety of the houseboats
Chairman Nigeen Tourist Traders Association (NTTA), Manzoor Wangnoo, condoled the demise of three tourists in the blaze in which five houseboats were gutted.
Wangnoo termed the incident as a tragedy and extended condolences to the bereaved families of the tourists. “We share the grief of the bereaved families of these tourists who lost their lives in the blaze,” Wangnoo said.

“These wooden structures represent the ailing heritage of the valley and are in urgent need of revival. I underscore the importance of implementing a comprehensive houseboat policy to safeguard these cultural treasures, especially considering the dwindling number of houseboats,” he said.

Wangnoo urged the administration, particularly the LG administration, to establish an adequate number of firefighting boats in Dal Lake and Jhelum river. He expressed gratitude to the administration for assigning firefighting boats to Nigeen Lake and recommended replicating the same model by allocating three boats to Dal Lake and two to the River Jhelum. This proactive measure is essential to prevent and contain incidents like the recent fire, which pose a significant threat to the remaining houseboats.

Furthermore, he advocates for the proper rehabilitation of the fire victims, emphasising that they should be provided with fair compensation. He also proposed facilitating repair and refurbishment of the affected houseboats by offering timber at subsidised rates.

In his appeal to the administration, Wangnoo stressed the urgency of taking appropriate measures to safeguard and revitalize houseboats. He called for a thoughtful and collaborative approach, considering the cultural and economic significance of these iconic structures.

“NTTA stands committed to supporting initiatives that preserve and promote the rich heritage of J&K,” Wangnoo added.
The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) expressed its grief and sorrow over the fire incident. “The five Houseboats worth crores of rupees completely gutted in the fire incident is indeed a great loss to the heritage houseboat population,” President KCCI, Javid Ahmad Tenga said in a statement.

“I appeal to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to get the loss assessed and extend necessary compensation to the victims of the fire incident and help them rehabilitate on a war footing basis. While the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry stands with the affected families in this hour of their grief, we urge the Government to issue quick permission for reconstruction of these gutted houseboats and supply the required quantity of timber-suitable class at the earliest,” Tenga added.