Nature buried in snow, and plastic: A photo essay from Gurez

Gurez: Under the shadow of the Habba Khatoon peak, Gurez Valley is facing a growing problem. What was once a clean and beautiful place is now slowly filling up with plastic waste.

Heavy snowfall and harsh winters already make life difficult here, and plastic pollution is making things worse.

Abdur Rahman, a 55-year-old resident who has lived in Gurez for decades, said the riverbanks have turned into dumping grounds.

He recalls a time when the valley was clean, and nature was untouched.

Today, he sees animals searching for food in garbage piles, in areas where the near-threatened Eurasian otter once lived.

Polythene is officially banned in the area.

The District Magistrate, Bandipora, issued an order under Section 144 of the CrPC (now Section 163 of the BNSS). But on the ground, the ban is hardly followed. There is no proper system to collect waste, and plastic continues to be used in markets and homes.

Plastic waste can now be seen everywhere, near trees, on open land and in rivers and streams that support the valley’s life.

Slowly, plastic is spreading across Gurez.

Through this series of images, we show how people in Gurez are caught between poor waste management and the damage being done to their environment.

The rules exist, but they are not followed. And in the end, nature is suffering.

Plastic waste is stuck in shrubbery along the banks of the Kishanganga River in Gurez Valley on 20 January 2026. [FPK Photo / Usaid Rehmani]

Locals carry vegetables in plastic bags while walking through Dawar, Gurez, on 20 January 2026. Despite a polythene ban issued in May 2024, plastic remains widely used in the valley. [FPK Photo / Usaid Rehmani]

The Habba Khatoon peak rises above garbage polluting the Kishanganga River in Gurez Valley on 20 January 2026. [FPK Photo / Usaid Rehmani]

Abdur Rahim, 55, stands at his home on the banks of the Kishanganga River in Dawar, Gurez on 20 January 2026. Waste collection services in the area have been stalled since October 2024. [FPK Photo / Usaid Rehmani]

Abdur Rahim, 55, gestures while discussing plastic pollution’s impact on the Kishanganga River in Dawar, Gurez on 20 January 2026. [FPK Photo / Usaid Rehmani]

Abrar Ahmad, 40, sits outside his shop in Dawar, Gurez on 20 January 2026. [FPK Photo / Usaid Rehmani]

A cow scavenges through plastic waste on the banks of the Kishanganga River in Gurez Valley on 20 January 2026. [FPK Photo / Usaid Rehmani]

The author is a student of communication. He focuses on contemporary narratives, blending visual documentation with insightful written commentary.