Srinagar, Feb. 13 -- Srinagar- On a quiet evening along the Jhelum River, Ghulam Qadir sits by the water's edge, staring at the place where his home once floated. The river, once a source of life and livelihood, now carries his deepest sorrow. His houseboat-a piece of his family's history-was reduced to wreckage by a storm in May 2023. Years of restrictions on renovations had left it in ruins. When the government finally lifted the ban, it was too late. Now, they live in a makeshift tent by the riverbank.

"At night, dogs and mice enter our tent. The cold is unbearable. Sometimes, we sleep hungry," he says. "Does no one see our suffering? Are we not humans?"

Their story is not unique. It's the shared plight of 86 families clinging to a p...