A Collective Fight to Cool Kashmir

The blistering heat waves sweeping through Kashmir this summer are not just weather events. They are warnings. For a place long known for its cool breeze, shaded chinars, and flowing streams, the record-breaking temperatures this year have scorched more than just paddy fields, They’ve cracked open our old assumptions.

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Kashmir was never immune to heat. Summers have always had their bite. But the difference is: we once had green shields. We had tree-lined streets, wetlands, and pastures that absorbed the heat. We had canals that breathed life into the land. Now, those buffers are almost gone, replaced by a lifestyle chasing concrete, convenience, and quick profits.

The wilted paddy fields and drying canals are not isolated problems. They are signs that this is no longer a fight an individual can win with a bottle of water and a ceiling fan. This is a collective crisis, and it needs a collective answer.