CCIK Expresses Concern Over ‘Frequent’ Fire Incidents, Demands Fire Tenders in Dal, Nigeen Lakes
Srinagar, Jan 5 (GNS): Two houseboats were gutted in a fire mishap occurring early Wednesday morning inside Dal Lake in summer capital Srinagar.
A Fire and Emergency Department official told GNS that two houseboats opposite Ghat number 9 caught fire this morning.
“Soon after intimation, men and machinery of the department alongwith boats of CRPF and SDRF swung into action and stopped the fire from spreading to adjoining houseboats”, the official said.
However two houseboats namely ‘Apollo Eleven’ belonging to Late Gh Qadir Kahar and ‘New Zealand’ belonging to Badiyari family got completely damaged in the incident, the official said adding cause of the fire is being ascertained.
Meanwhile Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry Kashmir (CCIK) has expressed serious concern over what it called ‘frequent fire incidents’ of the houseboats in Dal and Nigeen Lake.
While expressing solidarity with the affected owners, CCIK President Tariq Rashid Ghani in a statement to GNS said frequent fire incidents of the houseboats is a matter of great concern and government needs to step in to save this heritage tourism product.
Ghani said government should set up several fire fighting tenders at both the lakes to prevent such incidents in the future.
CCIK also demanded immediate compensation for the affected owners and also appealed to concerned authorities to provide permission to the owners for its construction. (GNS)
