Overview

• Ellis Hubertina Spaanderman has spent five years rowing through Dal Lake to collect plastic and waste without any outside funding.
• Cleanup videos originally shared by The Kashmir Today and reshared by the Kashmir Rights Forum have drawn widespread praise across Facebook and X.
• The J&K Lake Conservation and Management Authority’s vice-chairman requested Spaanderman’s direct involvement in school environmental programs.
• Beyond her daily boat missions, Spaanderman cycles through Srinagar to model sustainable habits and documents her efforts on Instagram.
• Her grassroots activism has spotlighted chronic pollution in Dal Lake and inspired growing local support for broader conservation efforts.