'I Came For Kashmir's Beauty. What I Found Broke My Heart.'

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer)

By Amargit Singh
I had always imagined Kashmir to be heaven on earth. I'd seen the pictures: lush green meadows, snow-draped mountains, rivers that ran clear and cold.

So when I finally got the chance to visit this April, I was excited in a way I hadn't been in years. I travelled from Malaysia with a sense of wonder, ready to experience the famous beauty of Gulmarg, Pahalgam, and Sonamarg.

In many ways, the place lived up to its promise. The air was crisp, the views majestic. I remember sitting quietly in the early mornings, watching the light shift over the mountains and feeling incredibly grateful. But alongside all this beauty, something else began to catch my eye. And soon, I couldn't unsee it.

Everywhere I went, there was trash.

Plastic bottles and food wrappers lay scattered on the roadsides, under trees, beside streams.

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In Pahalgam, even the riverbanks were not spared. In Sonamarg, it felt like the meadows had been turned into an open dumping ground. The sight was heartbreaking.

Families picnicked next to piles of garbage as if it were completely normal. I saw visitors, both local and from other Indian states, toss used water bottles and bags without a second thought.

It wasn't a rare act. It was happening all around me.

It became clear to me that this wasn't just a case of careless tourists. The problem seemed much deeper.

There was no visible waste management system in place. No bins, no one collecting litter, no signs reminding people to clean up after themselves. Even toll booths, like the ones at Aru Valley and Baisaran, were in a bad state. They were damaged, poorly maintained, and offering no real information or guidance.

I remember asking around for directions because the signage was either missing or too faded to read.

One thing I kept noticing was the absence of any officials from the tourism board. If they were present, I couldn't tell. There were no uniforms, no ID cards, no one monitoring the sites. It felt like the system had been left to run on its own, and it wasn't working.

Another concern that stood out during my visit was the way tourists were being charged. Rates for basic services like pony rides and taxis seemed completely arbitrary.

In Sonamarg, I met a family who had paid over ₹3,000 for a short horse ride. There were no price charts, no receipts, and when they tried to question it, the operators became defensive. I heard this story more than once.

One moment that really stayed with me happened at the riverbank in Pahalgam.

I was walking with my camera, trying to capture the evening light when I saw a plastic bag drifting downstream. It was filled with what looked like leftover food and some empty bottles. As I followed the water's path, I realised that no one around me was reacting. People walked by, laughed, took selfies. No one seemed to care.

And in that moment, I felt an overwhelming sadness. Not just for the river, but for what we were doing to it without even realising.

It made me think of the Kartarpur Corridor, a place where I've seen strict rules in action. Plastic is banned there. Visitors follow eco-friendly norms, and the area remains clean because it is actively protected.

Kashmir could follow a similar approach. It needs structure, enforcement, and a cultural shift around how people treat the land.

None of this is meant as criticism for the sake of it. I write this as someone who truly fell in love with Kashmir. I want others to experience its wonder as I did, but without the disappointment that came with it.

Kashmir's beauty deserves to be protected, and that can only happen if serious attention is given to how tourism is managed.

A clean, well-managed Kashmir is not just possible, it is necessary. For its people, for its visitors, and for the generations who will come looking for the same magic I once did.

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