Srinagar, July 17 -- By Syed Sammar Mehdi

The July sun beat down on the ghat as a young man in a white kurta and black waistcoat set out to rally a community around a lake he refused to give up on.

Sameer Baktoo had come to win over boatmen who had heard promises before, and he had chosen the toughest hour of the day to do it.

Around him, the suntanned water tribe rested in narrow strips of shade, escaping the afternoon heat, their oars lying beside them.

But Baktoo had other plans.

He greeted the men as one of their own, delivering a pep talk on "fixing responsibility", and urging them to care for the lake that had sustained their families for generations.

"The lake can't nap while we do," he said.

The line drew smiles, and one by...