Map representing the overall view of sites within Manasbal Lake.

Manasbal Lake, seen from its southern shore, with weed and lotus growth covering the water near the bank.

Manasbal Lake's shoreline, with dying weed cover and exposed mudflats along the bank.

A boatman works among aquatic weeds at Lake in Kashmir, where pollution and changing water conditions have raised concerns about the lake’s health and local livelihoods.

Two birds swim near dense aquatic vegetation along the shore of Manasbal Lake in Ganderbal district, Jammu and Kashmir.

A boatman navigates through aquatic weeds at Manasbal Lake in Ganderbal district, Jammu and Kashmir.

Abdul Majid paddles a boat loaded with harvested lotus stems and weed cut from the lake.

Muhammad Shafi stands on top of debris along a water channel in Zadgayi village in the Gurez Valley, where a flash flood destroyed his daughter’s wedding reception. Multiple tents erected for the celebration were swept away.

Every village in the Gurez valley has nallahs, channels that carry rainwater from the mountains down to the river. In Zadgayi, the recent flood blocked them with debris, which remains uncleared.

The assets of BSNL tower in Zadgayi destroyed in the recent flash floods. Sarpanch Mohammad Shafi had opposed its construction, warning it would worsen flooding. Its collapse formed a debris dam that made the disaster worse.

Jaan Khan from Zadgayi village stands in front of his home amid the debris of his makeshift winter home, built to survive harsh winters

An elderly resident of Zadgayi village stands at her doorway. The tightly clustered wooden log houses are typical of the valley's construction, built for insulation against harsh winters and built to last through generations of wear.

For the Dard-Shina, daily life revolves around water sources near the hamlets.

A cow grazes near a farm patch in Angaikoot village, nourished by a tributary of the Kishenganga River. In Gurez, where people settle depends on where the water flows.

A young girl crosses a wooden bridge in Angaikoot village in the Gurez Valley on her way to the fields. These wooden bridges connect hamlets scattered across the mountains.

Young boys in Angaikoot chat before filling their bottles. Water from natural springs is piped into every village, where it flows freely.

Habba Khatoon Spring in Gurez valley is named after the 16th-century Kashmiri poet, born Zoon. When her husband, Yusuf Shah Chak, was imprisoned and exiled by the Mughals, she turned her grief into poetry that is still sung across Kashmir. Visitors drink from the spring, believing its water can heal.

Badwan village once stood at this site before it was submerged by the Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project, displacing families across Gurez and Bandipora district. Experts had warned that the project could destabilise catchment areas and increase flood risk.

A generous resident of Angaikoot in the Gurez Valley offers us chai and shares local stories. This generosity, and the time people make for their guests, define the valley as much as its mountains do.

Rain clouds gather over Angaikoot village in Gurez. Clear skies can turn into a torrential downpour within minutes.