A coalition of more than 200 houseboat-owning families on Dal Lake has submitted a formal proposal seeking a heritage-tourism restoration grant, arguing that decades of deferred maintenance now threaten a trade that has defined Srinagar's waterfront for over a century.

Many of the lake's older houseboats — some more than 80 years old — require structural repairs to their deodar-wood hulls that individual families say they can no longer afford on tourism income alone, particularly after several difficult seasons.

"A houseboat isn't just a business, it's a piece of family history sitting in the water," one owner said. "But wood doesn't wait for you to save up."

The proposal asks for a restoration fund modeled on heritage-building grants used elsewhere in the country, with disbursement tied to documented repair costs rather than a flat per-boat payment — an approach organizers say reduces the risk of misuse.

Officials have acknowledged receiving the proposal but have not indicated a timeline for a decision. Tourism department representatives say a similar request was raised three years ago without resulting in dedicated funding.

Advocates argue the stakes go beyond individual families: houseboats remain one of the most recognizable images of Kashmir tourism, and their gradual disappearance would be difficult to reverse once boats are lost to disrepair.