A few days ago, as summer heat settled over Srinagar, a group of cab drivers waited for passengers under the afternoon sun. Their search was simple: they wanted shade.
One after another, they drove through busy roads and crowded neighbourhoods looking for a tree large enough to provide relief. Most came up empty-handed. Eventually, one driver found a patch of shade on the outskirts of the city.
That small episode says more about Srinagar than any official report.
A city once known for tree-lined roads, Chinar canopies, gardens, wetlands, and cool summers is slowly turning into a landscape of concrete, exposed roads, and shrinking green spaces. Rising temperatures have made the loss impossible to ignore.
Shade, which once came naturally with urban life, is becoming a scarce public resource.
Development often dominates public discourse. Wider roads, new projects, improved connectivity, and upgraded infrastructure all have their place. But a city also needs green infrastructure.
Trees cool streets, wetlands regulate temperature, parks create breathing spaces, and green cover acts as a natural defense against heat.
Research on Srinagar’s urban growth paints a worrying picture. Studies show a gradual decline in vegetation cover and open spaces as built-up areas expand. Scientists have linked this trend to increasing land surface temperatures and the emergence of urban heat island effects, where concrete-heavy neighbourhoods become significantly warmer than surrounding areas.
Vegetation cover in several parts of Srinagar has shrunk during the past two decades while urban expansion continues at a rapid pace.
Recent research also points to a decline in wetlands, agricultural land, and natural vegetation around the city. Those changes weaken natural cooling systems that once moderated summer temperatures. Researchers warn that urban growth is increasingly coming at the cost of ecological stability.
The warning signs are visible on the ground. A walk through several redeveloped corridors reveals decorative plants on road dividers and carefully arranged landscaping. Such additions improve appearance, but they cannot replace mature trees that cast wide shadows and cool entire streets.
Delhi provides an important lesson. During earlier decades, sustained plantation drives and urban greening programs transformed large sections of the capital. Summers remained harsh, though tree cover improved public spaces and made many neighbourhoods more livable.
Srinagar can pursue a similar path while building its own model suited to local geography and culture.
Green campaigns should move beyond ceremonial plantation events and annual slogans. Community groups, schools, resident associations, businesses, and government agencies can work toward a shared goal: restoring shade to the city.
Every road project, housing plan, market redevelopment, and public facility should include meaningful tree cover as a core component rather than an option.
This is no longer a question of beautification. It is a question of survival in a warming climate.
A city that cannot provide shade in summer is sending a warning about its future.
Srinagar still has time to act. The success of its development should be measured by how many trees stand between its people and the rising sun.
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