Jammu and Kashmir generated over 225,000 tonnes of plastic waste in just five years, according to an official estimate. These are not abstract statistics. Every tonne represents bottles floating in Dal’s banks and wrappers and bags in meadows of the scenic resorts.

The government’s response has followed a familiar pattern. Single-use plastics were banned on paper from July 2022. Extended Producer Responsibility frameworks were introduced and awareness campaigns were announced. And yet, walk through Pahalgam or follow the Lidder river downstream,........

© Greater Kashmir