Dal Lake Motorboat Ban: J&K High Court Bars Fuel BoatsKashmir

<h2>Petition over licensing transparency</h2> The directions were passed while hearing a petition filed by Mohammad Rafiq Mir and others concerning the renewal of permissions and licensing of motorboats operating on Dal Lake. During the proceedings, counsel for the petitioners raised concerns over the absence of clear, publicly available criteria for granting motorboat licences, noting that the responsibility for issuing licences had shifted from the Tourism Department to the Regional Transport Office (RTO) while the applicable criteria remained unavailable in the public domain.

Senior counsel B.A. Bashir and counsel Falak Bashir argued for uniform, transparent and environmentally sensitive criteria, submitting that jet skis, motorboats and other motorised vessels could damage the lake&#8217;s ecosystem and that a regulated, protective approach was needed. The bench observed that solar-powered and electric boats could balance tourism with the sustenance of lakes, and asked the senior additional advocate general to examine whether complete motorisation could be substituted by solarised e-engines.

<h2>Livelihood concerns and next hearing</h2> The order affects boat operators associated with the motorboat industry on the lake; according to one report, around 170 vessel owners could be affected, with some traditionally rowed shikara operators having switched to motors in recent years. The court stressed that any policy governing motorised vessels must balance tourism activities, pollution control and uniformity among stakeholders.

Appearing for the government, Senior Additional Advocate General Mohsin S. Qadri submitted that the authorities were committed to addressing pollution in Dal Lake while balancing tourism and conservation, and said a scientific, expert-oriented approach would be adopted. The government has been asked to submit a comprehensive policy for motorised boats, framed in consultation with experts, and the matter has been listed for further consideration on October 30.

Dal Lake is the central attraction of tourism in Kashmir, but it faces mounting environmental pressure. A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report noted that the lake&#8217;s open water area shrank by 10.15 per cent, from 15.40 square kilometres in 2007 to 12.91 square kilometres in 2020, while encroachments and construction in its vicinity continue to mar the water body.