City: Srinagar

“In the long run, we have to move beyond lockdowns and remain vigilant… we need to make certain changes in our lives,” said the flamboyant, active mayor of Srinagar in an exclusive interview.

The people of Kashmir have learnt some important survival lessons from coping with decades of conflict and resulting restrictions. So much so that Kashmiris living elsewhere are now calling home for advice on how to cope with life under lockdown.

The story is familiar. A few people returning from abroad, ignoring quarantine, meeting family and friends and then testing positive. A preacher, in particular, may have spread the virus far and wide in Kashmir.

Downtown Srinagar is still the place you should visit to sample the real essence of Kashmir — its artistic, social, cultural and spiritual heritage. But decades of official neglect and social unrest is slowly killing it all.

On one hand, strict High Court guidelines prohibit new registration of houseboats in Dal and Nigeen lakes in Srinagar. On the other, there are just three master craftsmen left, who can build these boats, the older ones among which are in decrepit state.

Those are just the figures since August 5th, as quoted in a report from the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Underlying these figures is the angst of thousands who did not get their salaries, students who struggled to prepare for crucial exams and many more.

Hospitable, caring and offering opportunities for a decent living — that is how most of them see the city. Thus, despite the tension and reports of attacks on non-Kashmiris in the days following the abrogation of Article 370, they decided to stay put. And they have not regretted it.

It’s only the second time in a decade that Kashmir has seen such heavy snowfall in November, and it has made lives more difficult for citizens, already facing the effects of a three-month lockdown. Here’s how the administration and people are coping with the vagaries of an early winter.

A 11-member fact-finding team recently visited Srinagar among other places in Kashmir, and saw a ghost town in place of the picturesque, vibrant city that once was. The clampdown on essential services, mobility, communication and trade has made life in this ‘paradise’ an ordeal.

In the days following abrogation of Article 370, Srinagar became a stinking mess, as municipal staff were unable to report to work and mounds of garbage accumulated on streets. While proactive officers and safai karamcharis have managed to tide over the crisis in the face of odds, waste management in the city needs serious fixes for the long term.

From Kanpur to Srinagar, from Gurugram to Varanasi, the story of cities in the Gangetic plains is similar – air pollution levels are extremely high, governments apathetic and inactive.

Several studies on pollution in the Dal Lake have pointed to the impact of the waste discharged by houseboats operating on the lake; yet rehabilitation or realignment of these may not be the only solution for saving the lake.