Srinagar is ready with the blueprint of its first inland water transport system in Jhelum River and Dal Lake, which will have fast boats plying on six major routes covering more than 65 km in water.
Under the plan, which is yet another sign of normalcy returning to Jammu and Kashmir, people will soon be able to board a boat from Dal Lake to the famous Hazratbal Shrine with a stopover at the Tulip Garden – now Asia’s largest – and from Pantha Chowk to Chattabal Weir with halts at iconic places like Zero Bridge, Polo View and Regal Chowk.
According to details accessed by News18, electric and solar-powered boats with 17 to 20 seats at a nominal ticket price will ply in Jhelum River and Dal Lake to reduce traffic congestion in the city. ‘Slow zones’ have been identified for these boats in areas populated by houseboats and shikaras.
This will be a big change as most of the boats plying in Srinagar waters, apart from houseboats and shikaras, were police patrols. The revival of inland water transport in Srinagar has been proposed as a way to reduce traffic congestion and lower carbon emissions while providing people with another commute option.
Srinagar, the largest city and summer capital of J&K, is located on the banks of Jhelum River in the Kashmir Valley and is India’s northernmost city to have a population of more than one million. With the security situation improving in the union territory since the abrogation of Article 370, the administration is on a mission to bring in major infrastructural changes.
Electric and solar-powered boats, six major routes
The blueprint shows that the inland water transport system will have six major routes – one route in Jhelum River covering 17 stops over a distance of 19.25 km from Pantha Chowk to Chattabal Weir; two in the inner Dal Lake area to be named ‘blue’ and ‘indigo’; and three in the outer Dal Lake area to be named ‘green’, ‘pink’ and ‘orange’.
The blue line will run from Dalgate to Amir Khan Nallah with eight stops; the indigo line will run from Dalgate to Hazratbal with eight stops; and the green line will also run from Dalgate to Hazratbal Shrine but through a different alignment crossing the Tulip Garden and Nishat. The pink line will run from Brein to Amir Khan Nallha while the orange line will run directly from Dalgate to Hazratbal without any halt.
Fare will be collected via e-ticketing and a tracking system for passengers will be put in place. The passenger fare will range from Rs 10 to Rs 50 depending on distance. Hours of operation will be from 8 am to 8 pm in summer and 9.30 am to 5.30 pm in the winter.
The boats have to be electric or a combination of solar, and will be equipped with a remote monitoring and tracking system. They will also be fitted with high-resolution CCTV cameras for monitoring passengers inside and while coming on board.
In Jhelum, the speed of the boats will not exceed 5 knots from Zero Bridge to Amira Kadal, and at places where houseboats are parked. Waterways from Dalgate to Zabarwan Park and inner channel waterway from Khonakhan to Bota Kadal are slow zones due to the presence of houseboats and shikaras.
The operator will provide depot space for parking and maintenance of the boats on the river as well as the lake, develop waterways through dredging and construct ghats and footbridges at different points. The administration has specified that the operator will refrain from activity that can hurt the sentiments of local residents.
The administration has also stressed that the operator will not engage in activity that disturbs aquatic life or their natural ecosystem or hampers the business of local water dwellers and residents in and around or puts undue strain on their normal business activity.
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