Srinagar, July 13 -- Cities rarely lose their charm in one dramatic moment. They lose it through broken footpaths, damaged tiles, neglected railings and scarred public spaces.

Srinagar has reached that stage.

The Smart City project transformed many parts of the city into cleaner, more walkable and more welcoming public spaces. Residents embraced the change and visitors noticed it too. Today, many of those improvements are slowly fading because maintenance has failed to keep pace with development.

Srinagar Smart City Limited completed hundreds of projects worth thousands of crores, bringing redesigned roads, wider footpaths, cycling tracks, public plazas, riverfront improvements and better street lighting.

These projects gave the city ...