Green Spaces Are Srinagar’s First Defence

Srinagar is often described through its lakes, gardens, mountains and chinar trees. The city’s beauty is not merely ornamental; it is rooted in a fragile ecological balance that has shaped its climate, culture and public life for centuries. Yet, as Srinagar expands, its urban green spaces are steadily being reduced, fragmented or treated as leftover patches of land waiting for construction.

This is not simply a loss of scenery. It is a warning about the kind of city we are building and the quality of life we are willing to accept. Urban green spaces are frequently regarded as…