Srinagar, Aug. 12 -- The administration had ordered the shutdown of several tourist spots across the Valley for security reasons after the Pahalgam attack.

However, locals say the prolonged closure of these three meadows, which draw thousands of visitors each summer, has crippled the local economy.

Many service providers, including pony handlers, guesthouse owners, taxi operators and shopkeepers, depend entirely on the tourist season for their income.

"We have taken loans to run our seasonal businesses. With no tourists, we have no earnings and the banks are pressuring us to pay our EMIs," said Abdul Rashid from Raiyar Khansahib, as per news agency KNO.

"Our families survive on what we earn in these few summer months. If the place sta...