In the picturesque landscapes of Dal Lake in Srinagar, a small community silently grapples with the intricate interplay of environmental degradation, urbanisation and the changing nature of their relationship with their ancestral livelihood. Anthropogenic (human-induced) environmental degradation has been on the agenda of humanity for a long time now, however, even the most beautiful and popular tourist destinations – which one might assume are the most protected – in the world seem to be choking by the surge of plastic and pollution