Kashmir’s new green movement: From Srinagar to Anantnag, Varmul, communities rise up to revive water bodies

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Ziraat Times
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By: Naveed Khan – Ziraat Times

As alarm bells ring louder in Kashmir for shrinking  wetlands, drying up springs and rivers turning into dumping grounds, a quiet revolution is brewing — one led not by governments, but by ordinary citizens.

For a land, which has the spiritual legacy in environmental preservation from its patron saint – Hazrat Sheikh Nooruddin Wali (RA) – whose 16th century writings and prophecies on Kashmir’s environment inspire awe even today, this activism is barely any surprise.

“From Srinagar to Anantnag to Varmul to Ganderbal and other areas, a wave of community-led initiatives is reviving hope, proving that collective community action can help reverse decades of neglect that have left these water bodies choked with plastic, sewage, and encroachments”, says  Arjimand Hussain, founder of Ziraat Times, whose publication on the risks of climate change “On the Brink – 2007” through a community-based initiative happens to be Kashmir’s first on the subject. Having also led a community initiative planting some 72,000 trees in Kupwara, Varmul  and Rafiabad areas in 2005 and 2006, Mr Arjimand insists that the renewed efforts of activists like Manzoor Wangnoo, Faiz Bakshi, Raja Muzaffar Bhat, lawyer Nadeem Qadri, Er  Ejaz Rasool, Javed Dar and others are not only helping in reviving the water bodies but also inspiring a template for community stewardship.

The movement’s roots trace back to Srinagar, where social activist Manzoor Wangnoo launched the Ehsaas Initiative in 2020. Distressed by the state of Gilsar and Khushalsar—twin lakes once famed for their lotus blooms—Wangnoo mobilized volunteers to remove tons of plastic and silt.

“These waters are our heritage. If we don’t act, who will?” says Manzoor Wangnoo. The initiative expanded to restore springs across Srinagar, recharging groundwater and rekindling centuries-old heritage.

At the policy level, policy advocacy group, Environmental Policy Group,  led by a prominent lawyer and environmental activist, Faiz Bakshi, campaigns for systemic change. By organizing workshops and lobbying for wetland preservation laws, Bakshi’s group has been blending top level influencing work with  community efforts to bring about changes in long-term governance.

 “Awareness is the first step,” he notes, “but lasting change needs policy teeth.”

On the other hand, Raja Muzaffar Bhat, a vocal environmentalist, through litigation and public campaigns, has been consistently pressuring  authorities to halt illegal encroachments on streams in Budgam and other areas. “Laws exist, but without citizen vigilance, they’re just words on paper”, Dr Muzaffar told Ziraat Times.

At the start of 2025, in the southern part of Kashmir, climate anxiety has galvanized a generation. The Sandran Stream, a Jhelum tributary in Anantnag’s Munward village, became a rallying point. Once a source of drinking water and irrigation, it had become a garbage dump.

Local residents — led by well-known photojournalist Javed Dar and the Kidmat Khalaq Youth Foundation—launched a three-phase cleanup. Volunteers cleared plastic, medical waste, and debris, while Dar’s social media photos starkly contrasted the stream’s decline and renewal.

“We’ve started the third phase. Join us!” Dar urged on social media, attracting journalists, students, and even municipal workers. The campaign’s success rippled outward: Barsoo village in Awantipora formed a youth committee to protect local streams. “Our children deserve clean water,” said a volunteer. “This is our duty.”

The movement soon reached North Kashmir. In Baramulla, activists organized cleanups along the Jhelum and Ferozpur stream banks, while in Kunzer (Tangmarg), Hassan Wani’s Rah-e-Umeed Foundation partnered with municipal authorities for a massive drive. Over 100 volunteers cleared Hardu Madam’s clogged canals, blending manual labor with street plays on plastic pollution.

One of the most striking stories of this movement emerged from Chijhama village (Rohama, Baramulla). When 24-year-old Meer Jameel saw the Veji Nallah canal choked with plastic, he rallied friends. “Waiting for officials was futile. We had to act,” Jameel recalls. Their weekend cleanups drew elders and children, transforming the canal into a symbol of communal pride. “Now, even kids scold anyone littering here,” he laughs.

In Munward, the Sandran cleanup wasn’t just about waste—it was a cultural reset. Elders shared memories of fishing in the stream, while youth installed trash bins and painted murals. “This stream fed our fields. We owed it to our ancestors,” said a village elder.

In Kunzer, the partnership between Hassan Wani’s foundation and the municipal council set a precedent. “Municipal trucks now collect segregated waste weekly,” Wani explains. “It’s proof that communities and governments can collaborate.”

What next?

While cleanups grab headlines, activists stress the need for deeper change.

Despite progress, hurdles remain. Lack of dedicated grassroots groups, low civic sense among general public, coupled with funding and manpower shortages with municipal bodies for sustainable waste management can disrupt  community campaigns.

Yet, the movement’s spread—from Srinagar’s lakes to Baramulla’s canals—signals a paradigm shift. As Jameel notes, “When youth lead, even skeptics join.”

Kashmir’s water warriors are proving that environmentalism isn’t about activism or a luxury—it is about survival. Their message is clear: protecting nature is not only a government task but a moral duty for all – ordinary citizens, panchayats, municipal agencies and even Imams of Masjids and temple and Gurdwara managements.

The start of a sort of a revolution is here—and it flows from the people. It is the only way to conserve and protect what is left of Kashmir’s natural heritage.  But it needs to be sustained and institutionalised, insists Sakib Qadri, another environmental activist, who has done notable work on Dal Lake conservation in its early conservation days.

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