On a cold winter morning, a stream in central Kashmir seems pure and clear. A shepherd fills a pail for his flock, oblivious to the unseen shards of a growing modern problem flowing with it.

Tiny bits of broken plastic float through the water like uninvited guests, traveling from soil to crops to people without any warning, smell, or way to see them. Their silent invasion has left communities across the valley uneasy.

Plastic entered Kashmiri life as a promise of convenience. It wrapped medicines in hospitals, protected groceries from the dust of long journeys, and lowered costs for families with tight budgets. The material arrived as a marker of progress.

Over the years, something harsher unfolded. Streets filled with single-use packets. Playfields collected bottles after picnics. Stre

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