Srinagar, Dec. 7 -- As winter settles over the Kashmir Valley, Srinagar once again finds itself shrouded not only in cold but in an increasingly dangerous cloud of polluted air. The steady deterioration in air quality-now a recurring seasonal crisis-has escalated into a full-scale public health emergency. With PM2.5 and PM10 levels frequently crossing safe limits, the Valley is breathing toxic air, and the consequences are already evident in the rising number of respiratory and cardiac cases reported across hospitals. Srinagar's air pollution is not an overnight phenomenon. It is the result of years of unchecked urban expansion, inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of long-term environmental planning. The arrival of winter only magnifies...