By Peerzada Aarif

I recently walked through the forests of north Kashmir, places I’ve known and admired since childhood. But this time, something felt off.

The towering trees that once stood in full strength looked tired. Many were drying up, their needles brittle, their bark faded. Some stood dead altogether.

At first, I thought it was just one patch. But as I moved through different forest ranges, I saw the same pattern. The Pines are dying, and not quietly.

This isn’t just something I noticed. Environmental experts have been warning about it, and now, seeing it with my own eyes, I understand the urgency. These trees are being hit hard by changing weather, the kind we didn’t grow up with. Long dry spells. Sudden heat spikes. Temperatures rising year........

© Kashmir Observer