Kashmir’s stunning lakes and wetlands — the very heart of its wildlife, farms, and tourism — have been quietly vanishing. A recent government study dropped a rather alarming bombshell: nearly half of Jammu and Kashmir's lakes are just gone. Another 203 have shrunk. Let that sink in. It’s a pretty stark warning for the region’s environmental future and its water supply.
But here's where things get interesting. Enter Manzoor Ahmad Wangnoo, a businessman who decided his calling was less about profit margins and more about saving actual margins of water. For over two decades, he’s been on a mission, becoming a leading voice for protecting Kashmir’s shrinking aquatic treasures.
The Ehsaas Effect
Wangnoo’s nonprofit, the Nigeen Lake Conservation Organisation (NLCO), launched something called Mission Ehsaas. It’s a beautiful concept: bringing together residents, volunteers, and even government groups to roll up their sleeves and restore these damaged water bodies. Their poster child for success? The Khushalsar-Gilsar wetland system in Srinagar, two connected lakes that were staring down the barrel of oblivion.
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Start Your News DetoxFor Wangnoo, this isn't just about scooping out trash or dredging silt. It's about rekindling a relationship. He calls it “Ehsaas,” an Urdu and Kashmiri word that means “awareness” or “realization.” It’s about people realizing that their lives are intrinsically linked to the health of these waters.
He’s seen firsthand the damage: pollution, unchecked development creeping onto the edges of wetlands, turning vital ecosystems into forgotten puddles. Yet, he remains remarkably optimistic. Why? Because the communities themselves are stepping up. They’re finding their Ehsaas. And when people realize what they're losing, it turns out, they're pretty good at getting it back.
