It’s a heartwarming sight in Kashmir’s Dal Lake, where a 69-year-old woman from the Netherlands has taken it upon herself to clean the lake’s waters of plastic waste.
Driven by a deep love for nature, Ellis Hubertina Spaaanderman can often be spotted gently rowing her boat through the lake, quietly collecting trash floating on the surface. One by one, she carefully picks up plastic waste and drops it into a bag on her boat—doing her bit to restore the beauty of the iconic tourist spot, one piece at a time.
“I also did it in the Netherlands as I was living on the seaside. In general, the Netherlands is clean, but ships throw waste, so I started collecting the waste, it is in my nature. When I see it, I cannot avoid cleaning up,” Spaaanderman said when asked about her passion.
The Dutch woman first visited Kashmir nearly 25 years ago and was instantly mesmerised by its beauty.
When she returned around five years ago and decided to stay in the valley, she was heartbroken to see how polluted the lake had become over the years.
“I started picking the trash right from the day I came to Kashmir. Now, it has been five years,” she said. Spaaanderman got her own boat in November last year to support her cleanup efforts.
“I thought if no one is doing it, I am gonna do it. Maybe it is only a drop in the ocean, but I have learnt one thing that if you want to teach people, the best thing is to be an example. People start noticing,” she added.
The Dutch said her aim to spread awareness about the environment among the masses.
“I care about the environment, I want it to be clean. But, it is so much dirty here, I cannot do it alone. This is my way to clean it and create awareness among the people. I notice that now when I am collecting waste, not only here but in streams and forests, people start helping me,” she said.
“I am convinced that if everyone will help me, the whole of Kashmir can be cleaned within two years. I really believe in that. Many Kashmiris say it will take 1,000 years...no you can teach within a generation,” she further added.
Spaaanderman said she has grabbed some attention for her work. “The vice-chairman of J-K LCMA (Lake Conservation and Management Authority) asked me to come and speak with him. They want to work with me and want to use my knowledge to educate the children in schools,” she said.
When she's not collecting trash from the lake, Spaaanderman can often be seen cycling through the city streets, particularly along Foreshore Road.
“Sometimes I am busy and I cannot do it on daily basis. Most days I do this when I have nothing else to do. Then I go to lakes, swimming, pedalling, cycling, hiking and on way I collect waste,” she said.
Spaaanderman carries out the cleaning entirely on her own — without any external support or funding. Her small shikara works like a manual wooden de-weeder as she quietly rows through the lake.
Dal Lake isn’t just a scenic spot — it’s a vital source of livelihood for many Kashmiris and one of the Valley’s most iconic tourist attractions. But over the years, it has suffered due to pollution and encroachment.
Although the government has undertaken initiatives like dredging, de-weeding, and anti-encroachment drives, the lake continues to face environmental challenges.
For Spaaanderman, Dal Lake feels like home. She says her efforts are a way of giving back to the place she loves.
Locals have taken note. “I’ve seen her collecting plastic waste many times,” said Yawar Ahmad, a resident of the area, appreciating her commitment.
“It is truly appreciable what she is doing. I often think, if a foreign tourist woman can do it, then why can’t we?” he said. Ahmad called the Dutch tourist’s efforts truly inspiring and said he hopes her dedication will motivate the younger generation to care more about the environment. He also expressed hope that her actions will raise awareness among people to stop dumping waste into lakes and other public spaces.
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