Winter in Kashmir feels more brutal than beautiful. The long cold months test people's health, homes, and savings. This season means more coughs, more hospital visits, and sadly, more deaths. Local doctors report a clear rise in breathing problems every winter.

The cold has always been part of life here. People have relied on kangris, pherans, and bukharis for generations. These old ways still help, but they also bring new risks.

Burning charcoal, coal, or wood inside closed rooms fills the air with smoke. That smoke makes asthma, chest infections, and heart problems worse. Every winter, hospitals see more patients struggling to breathe.

Life today has made winters harder. More people live in concrete homes that stay cold and trap moisture. Rising lifestyle diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and obesity make many more people vulnerable to cold-related illness.

Some families move to the warmer plains during the season. But not all can afford winter escapism. They stay in the valley, facing freezing temperatures and smoky air.

There are still ways to make homes safer. Ventilation matters most. A small window opening or vent can clear smoke and carbon fumes. People can switch to cleaner heating options like LPG, electric heaters, or oil radiators when possible. Kangris and bukharis should be used carefully, kept away from the body while sleeping and not left burning in closed rooms.

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