Meet the Dutch woman who has been cleaning up Srinagar's Dal Lake

Mint

3 days ago

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On a still May morning, as the mist rises gently from the waters of Dal Lake, a lone shikara glides across its soft surface. But unlike most tourists drawn by lake's houseboats and picturesque setting, a lone Dutch woman steering a wooden boat is not here for leisure. Armed with a trash bag, the 69-year-old Ellis Hubertina Spaanderman wants to clean up Kashmir's Dal Lake—one plastic bottle at a time.
On a still May morning, as the mist rises gently from the waters of Dal Lake, a lone shikara glides across its soft surface. But unlike most tourists drawn by lake's houseboats and picturesque setting, a lone Dutch woman steering a wooden boat is not here for leisure. Armed with a trash bag, the 69-year-old Ellis Hubertina Spaanderman wants to clean up Kashmir's Dal Lake—one plastic bottle at a time.
'I fell in love with this place twenty years ago," Ellis says after collecting some trash including chips wrappers and plastic cold drink bottles thrown into the lake.
'The situation was difficult then—strikes, curfews, soldiers everywhere. But I saw the mountains, lakes, and amazing nature here. And I met Kashmiri people whose hospitality impressed me and their warmth is like nowhere else," she says. Also Read | How tourism is impacting picturesque Gurez
Originally from the Netherlands, a country famously reclaimed from the sea, Ellis knows what it means to respect nature. 'Without Dutch, I would not exist," she says with a smile. 'My country is man-made. But Kashmir, this is divine nature," she adds. 'And yet, everywhere I look, there is a lot of plastic waste."
Starting with the streams of Dachigam, Ellis began picking up waste. It was not long before her mission expanded to Dal Lake itself. 'My daughter last year gifted me a shikara on my birthday," she says, adding that now whenever she is on water, she collects waste on her boat. 'It may seem small, but I believe every ripple matters."
It is not just about picking up the trash for Ellis but about setting an example. She believes education begins at home. She never had to teach her children not to litter. 'They (children) copied me," she says. 'But I worry about what children learn in schools. They memorise books, clear exams and then forget them afterward. We need to teach them about the environment and their health."
She says plastic waste finds its way into animals, then into the food chain, and finally enters our bodies. 'People wonder why they get sick, why there is cancer, even if they do not smoke. But they forget, the plastic you throw away comes back to you affecting your health," she warns.
Dal Lake, a world-renowned tourist destination in Srinagar, is facing severe ecological degradation due to increased urbanisation, unchecked sewage, and invasive species. Once praised for its clear, pristine waters, Dal lake now suffers from hyper-eutrophism, excessive weed growth, and pollution. A 2022 study titled The Changing Water Quality of Lakes—a case study of Dal Lake, Kashmir Valley by Rohitashw Kumar, Sabah Parvaze, Mir Bintul Huda and Saqib Parvaze Allaie highlighted rising levels of harmful substances in the lake water, contributing to ecosystem damage. The study found that 'houseboats, sewage treatment plants, hotels, agricultural practices around the lake, floating gardens, lake encroachment, and other non-point sources have degraded the water quality as well as aesthetic properties of the lake." The study called for an urgent need for restoration, better management and conservation by both authorities and local population.
Researchers emphasise the urgent need for a comprehensive restoration plan for long term lake conservation, including sewage control, rehabilitation of local dwellers, and ecological management.
Ellis, who wants to do her bit to clean the lake, does not just preach but also offers solutions. She frequently urges shopkeepers around the lake to ditch plastic and polythene bags for reusable alternatives, some even made locally by recycling companies.
'If everyone refuses plastic, disposes of waste properly, it makes a huge difference," she insists.
While she does not deny the government has a role to play, she believes change must begin at the individual level. 'Government built beautiful shopping centres with Smart City funds, but forgot bins," she points out. 'I spoke with Lakes Conservative Management Authority (LCMA) officials. They are supportive, but everyone needs to do their bit."
Despite her efforts, challenges persist. Bins she helped place around Dal Lake sometimes mysteriously disappear. 'It only shows the need for steady, permanent bins," she says. Not everyone has welcomed her activism.
'Some say, 'What difference can you make? It will take a thousand years to clean Dal'. But Ellis is no stranger to hardship. Having battled depression and personal loss in her native Netherlands, she knows the power of resilience.
'When you have fallen so deep, there is only one way to get back up. Age does not matter, it is just a number," she says with a smile.
Her message to people in Kashmir is both blunt and hopeful: 'Stop pointing fingers towards each other. Be the change you want to see," she says. Social media has amplified her voice, bringing volunteers to her cause. She organises cleanup drives along streams like Dagwan, a freshwater stream flowing through Dachigam National Park where swimmers at times leave behind rubbish.
'Nature is where I want to focus," she says. 'Government cannot clean everything. We also must help."
In countries like Switzerland, Austria, Norway, she says the water bodies are clean. 'You throw trash and you are fined there," she says. 'Here, unfortunately some people do not even think before throwing trash into water bodies and streams."
When Ellis hikes in the valley mountains, she likes to dip her feet into streams. But she often finds trash underneath streams. 'It brings tears to my eyes," she says. Despite setbacks—missing bins, skeptics, loneliness—she did not give up. She remains undeterred in her mission.
The locals who have seen her singular attempts to clean up the lake are inspired to do more on their part. President of Jammu and Kashmir Shikara Owners Association, Wali Mohammad, says that cleaning Dal Lake and other such lakes is the duty of every individual.
'If a lone foreigner has taken this initiative, it is commendable and we welcome and support her," he says adding that being a non-native, she is doing a wonderful job while some locals carelessly continue to throw and dump trash and plastic into Dal and other water bodies..
As head of J&K Shikara Association, Mohammad said he wholeheartedly welcomes her initiative and is inspired by her efforts. 'The youth of valley must come forward to help her clean the Dal Lake and other water streams and play their part in preserving the region's lakes," says Mohammad.
The head of the shikara association has also instructed every shikarawala (boatman) to keep their own dustbins and strictly avoid throwing garbage into the Dal Lake. 'Any waste should be stored in their respective boats and later disposed of according to guidelines set by authorities," he emphasises.
Meanwhile, Oris Yusuf, owner of houseboat 'Malaya" near Ghat 10 on the shores of the lake, says it's rare to find a tourist, especially from another continent, visiting the valley and then staying back to start a cleaning drive in Dal lake.
'It is inspiring and admirable. When a foreigner can undertake a cleaning drive in Dal and adjacent areas, why can't we? This lake is our asset and heritage," says Yusuf. Initiatives like hers, he adds, could serve as a source of inspiration for youth to take care of our precious water bodies.
'Although many domestic and international tourists visit Kashmir to enjoy its scenic beauty, she probably is the first elderly foreign tourist who has taken this kind of initiative here," says Yusuf who often notices the old lady rowing her boat inside the lake and personally collecting garbage and plastic waste from the lake.
Born just after World War II to a father scarred by war, Ellis connects with and understands the region's generational trauma.
'Young people here carry memories of conflict, even if they did not live it," she says. 'I can understand their pain and empathise with them."
For all her global travels, Ellis says her heart belongs to Kashmir. 'I feel so blessed to live here," she says. 'This feels like my home." 'Kashmir is paradise," she insists. 'Someone has truly said, 'If there is paradise on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here.' But you have made a mess of your paradise," she adds after a pause. 'Now, let us clean it up as I cannot do it all alone."
Yaqoob Ali is an kashmir based independent journalist reporting on culture, conflict, environment, social Justice, and economy.
Majid Maqbool is a Kashmir based independent journalist and writer Topics You May Be Interested In