Srinagar, July 27 -- Kashmir has escaped another flood scare, and that should be enough to change the conversation.

A few days of heavy rain now bring the same cycle of fear. River gauges become alarming news, families stay awake watching the Jhelum, roads disappear under water, schools shut their gates, officials issue updates by the hour, and life slows until the rain finally eases.

Such scenes have become part of the valley's summers. And that is a worrying shift.

Floods once belonged to rare moments in memory, but today they have started to shadow seasons.

Recent flooding in Beerwah and several other places showed how quickly normal life can turn into disruption. The Jhelum rose sharply, flood channels came under pressure, and low...