Owing to the public demand to the River Jhelum cruise, the Department of Tourism Kashmir Wednesday decided to continue operation of water transport on river Jhelum from the Ghat near GPO Srinagar to Khanqah-e-Moula shrine.The department of tourism had launched the water transport service on July 11, 2017 for the promotion of the water transport on trail basis on the directions of the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Ahmed Khan.The department will operate the service twice a day at 10 am and at 4 pm at Rs 25 per head.The service has been launched jointly by Department of Tourism Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation and the divisional administration and to promote water transport and heritage tourism.Director Tourism Kashmir Mahmood A Shah said earlier the Jhelum cruise was run on promotional basis without any charges which attracted locals as well as tourists.
“Now, the services will continue at Rs 25 per head which is still highly subsidized service to promote water transport and historic places on the banks of River Jhelum,” said Director Tourism.Irrigation and Flood Control Department will be maintaining the Ghat as an anchor point for the motor boats.Famous structures like Hanuman temple, old assembly complex, old secretariat, heritage sites like Budshah tomb, famous and historic Muslim shrines like that of Mir Syed Ali Hamadani at Khankhai Moula in Srinagar besides seven heritage bridges are the important sites on the banks of the river Jhelum.Director tourism said the service will boost the tourism as there are many heritage sites on the banks of river Jhelum which tourists will want to see.“We have recently released the drone video on the seven bridges on river Jhelum which received overwhelming response from the locals. Both the locals and the tourists want to have the cruise on river Jhelum to see the historic places,” he said.