The lakes and wetlands of Kashmir in northwestern India have long sustained the valley’s biodiversity, agriculture, tourism and water security. But over recent decades, these freshwater ecosystems have come under increasing pressure from pollution, encroachment and rapid urbanization. A recent government audit found that nearly half (315 of the 697) of lakes recorded across Jammu and Kashmir have disappeared, while another 203 have shrunk, raising concerns about the region’s ecological health and long-term water security.
Against this backdrop, Manzoor Ahmad Wangnoo has spent more than two decades trying to reverse the decline of Kashmir’s freshwater ecosystem. The businessman-turned-conservationist has become one of the leading voices for protecting Kashmir’s lakes, wetlands and springs. Through the nonprofit Nigeen Lake Conservation Organisation (NLCO) and its flagship Mission Ehsaas, he has helped mobilize residents, volunteers and government agencies around the restoration of degraded water bodies, including the Khushalsar-Gilsar wetland system, two interconnected urban lakes in the heart of Srinagar.
Conservation is not just about cleaning lakes for Wangnoo. It’s the reestablishment of a relationship between individuals and nature, a relationship he describes as Ehsaas, a word in Urdu and Kashmiri meaning “awareness” or “realization.”
During an in-person interview with Mongabay, Manzoor Ahmad Wangnoo discussed his conservation journey, the significance of wetlands, the challenges facing these ecosystems such as pollution and encroachment, and his optimism for the future of these wetlands as a result of community stewardship. The following interview conducted in Urdu has been translated into English and edited for length and clarity.
Mongabay: What first drew you to conservation work, and how did your journey into protecting Kashmir’s lakes and wetlands begin?
Manzoor Ahmad Wangnoo: When I returned to Kashmir from Delhi in the early 2000s, I wanted to spend a few peaceful days in a houseboat on Nigeen Lake. But when I reached there, I was shocked. The lake was completely in shambles. There were polythene bags, dead animals and parts of the lake were being illegally encroached upon, with people filling sections of the water body and fencing them off for private use.
At that time, we didn’t have an NGO or any formal structure. It was just me, my friends and the people living around Nigeen. We tried to make them understand how important the lake was for tourism, our health and our way of life. Together, we cleaned the lake in phases.
Today, I can challenge anybody to show me a single polythene floating in Nigeen. That is the power of community participation.
Mongabay: For readers who may never have visited Kashmir, how would you describe the region’s wetlands and freshwater ecosystems? What makes them special?
Manzoor Ahmad Wangnoo: There was a time when people used to say, ‘If there is paradise on Earth, it is here.’ Kashmir sits like a bowl surrounded by mountains. Water from glaciers, streams and catchment areas feeds our lakes and wetlands, including Dal Lake, Nigeen Lake, Wular and Manasbal.
These water bodies are the foundation of our environment and our economy. If our environment is healthy, tourism, horticulture and agriculture will flourish. That is why I believe environmental protection should be the first priority of any government.
We are trying to bring back the Kashmir we once knew. If people from outside have never visited this place, I want them to come and experience its beauty. But we also have a responsibility to restore and protect it.
Mongabay: You have spent more than two decades working on the restoration of lakes, wetlands and springs. What changes have you witnessed during that time?
There was a time when, as schoolchildren, we could throw a coin into Dal Lake, dive down with our eyes open and retrieve it. Today, pollution and weeds have changed that reality.
But I have also seen what restoration can achieve. Look at Nigeen today and compare it with what it was in 2001. Look at Khushalsar and Gilsar before Mission Ehsaas and see how they have changed.
People have become more aware. In the past, many treated these water bodies like dustbins. Today, people think differently. They understand that these lakes are part of their lives and that protecting them is their responsibility.
Mongabay: In your view, what are the biggest threats confronting Kashmiri lakes, wetlands and other freshwater ecosystems today?
Manzoor Ahmad Wangnoo: Encroachment, pollution and unplanned urbanization remain the biggest threats. Many wetlands have been illegally filled with earth and construction debris and converted into residential land. The government has to act firmly against these illegal encroachments and ensure that these water bodies are properly mapped and protected.
Conservation should rise above politics. Lakes and wetlands belong to everybody, and protecting them requires long-term planning and serious commitment.
Kashmir’s wetlands support migratory birds and act as natural sponges that help regulate floods and recharge groundwater. Several wetlands in the region, including Hokera and Wular, are recognized under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
