Srinagar: The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has banned fuel-powered motorboats and jet skis from being plied on Dal Lake till further order.
Citing the ‘threat of pollution’ to Dal Lake and the absence of clear, transparent licensing criteria for motorised craft, the High Court barred all fuel-operated motorboats, including shikara motorboats and jet skis, from the lake until further orders. It also warned that any violation would amount to contempt of court.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Dr. Pushpendra Singh Bhati and Justice Rajesh Sekhri passed the order in a petition filed by one Mohammad Rafiq Mir and others, who had originally sought a direction to the Deputy Director Tourism, Registration, to respond to a letter from the RTO Kashmir so that renewal of their licences would not be delayed.
Senior Advocate B.A. Bashir, appearing with Advocate Falak Bashir, told the court that the whole process of permitting motorboats lacks criteria and transparency.
Licences were earlier granted by tourism authorities and are now said to be the RTO’s responsibility, but the criteria are not public.
This, they argued, hurts those in the motorboat trade and raises questions about the credibility of the authorities, particularly given pollution and the number of boats allowed on the lake.
The petitioners also submitted that jet skis, motorboats and any other motorised craft are likely to damage the lake’s ecosystem, and that any regulation must be uniform, transparent and environmentally protective.
Senior Additional Advocate General Mohsin S Qadri, who took instructions from the Lakes Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA), the RTO and the Tourism Department, told the court that auctions for motorboats had been held and certain operators allowed to ply them for tourism, but that tourism licences had never been reviewed.
He said authorities want to tackle Dal Lake pollution head-on, balancing tourism with the lake’s cleanliness, and would take a scientific, expert-led approach to licensing motorised craft. RTO Kashmir Qazi Irfan was present in person.
Observing that steps are needed to exclude polluting activities and that solar and electric boats could help balance tourism with the sustenance of lakes, the Bench directed the LCMA, Tourism Department and police to ensure no fuel-operated motorboat or jet ski operates on the lake.
Any motorised boat allowed to ply, or reported to be plying, will be treated as contempt of the order, and officers concerned must strictly restrict and prohibit such operations.
Boats used by the administration and authorities for emergency services, law and order, disaster management and safety are exempt.
The court also directed Qadri to submit a comprehensive policy for motorised boats, framed in consultation with experts, to minimise pollution while balancing tourism and pollution control; and explore and report whether complete motorisation can be replaced by solarised e-engines.
The matter has been listed for further hearing on October 30, 2026.
