Uber starts India's first water transport service in Srinagar

The American multinational ride-hailing app Uber has launched its first water transport service in India with the onboarding of the Shikaras at the iconic Dal Lake in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.

For the first time, a ride-hailing app in India has launched a booking service for water transport in India.

Shikaras are houseboats that resemble the gondolas of Venice but are smaller in size and are tastefully decorated.

Uber offers water transport services in some European countries, including Venice, Italy.

However, the service introduced in Srinagar was the first such service launched by the company in Asia.

Uber Shikara Service in Dal Lake 

According to Uber, seven Shikara owners have signed an agreement with it, and Uber users can book shikaras at government-determined rates.

The company said Uber is not charging any fees from its shikara partners and will pass the entire amount on to them.

The launch of the Uber service is expected to provide an assured income to the Shikara operators.

To the tourists, it will offer ease of convenience in booking shikaras, end the bargaining of rates with the shikara owners, and boost tourism in the area.

About Dal Lake 

Dal Lake is one of the most iconic tourist spots of the Srinagar Valley. 

It is the second largest freshwater lake in Jammu and Kashmir after the Wullar Lake.

Dal Lake, also known as the ‘Jewel in Kashmir's Crown,’ is surrounded on three sides by the Pir Panjal mountains.

Overlooking the lake are two hillocks which house the famous temples of Shankaracharya and Hari Parbat. 

A perennial inflow channel from the north supplies about 80% of the lake's water. 

Towards the southwest side, an outflow channel drains the lake water into a tributary of the River Jhelum.

The length of the lake shoreline is 15.5 km, and the catchment area is around 316 square kilometres.

The maximum depth of the lake is 6 meters.

The lake is a major source of drinking water and vegetable growing.

Due to continuous encroachment, the lake's size is shrinking, and the flow of untreated domestic sewage has polluted it.