Srinagar, May 19 -- As the mercury climbs in the valley, Srinagar is beginning to feel the full force of a summer that concrete has made harsher. Heat now rises from rooftops, pavements and walls that trap warmth through the day and release it deep into the evening. Air conditioners hum in homes, shops and offices as families search for relief inside buildings that have turned into heat chambers.

Srinagar once breathed differently. Chinar-lined roads, sprawling gardens, dense neighbourhood trees and water bodies softened the summer sun. Shade belonged to daily life. A walk through the city rarely felt punishing. That memory now feels distant in many parts of the capital where glass, cement and unchecked construction have replaced natural...