Pic credit ( Tabish Rafiq Mir )
Bilal Bhat
March 5, 2025: In a heart-wrenching outcry, netizens have raised the alarm over the rapid deterioration of Khushal Sar, a once-thriving water body now teetering on the edge of extinction. Social media platforms are flooded with anguish and frustration as citizens lament the tragic state of the lake, accusing society of abandoning its responsibility to protect the environment.
“This is Khushal Sar. Can we please raise some alarm?” pleaded Sajad Rasool, a renowned journalist concerned about the fate of the lake wrote, in a desperate post. His words echo the sentiments of many who fear that the lake is “dying a painful death.” The images shared online paint a grim picture: murky waters, encroaching pollution, and a landscape that seems to cry out for help.
Tabish Rafiq Mir, a prominent social media user and a vocal advocate for environmental issues, has been at the forefront of bringing attention to the crisis. Mir, who has consistently highlighted environmental degradation across Kashmir, shared disturbing pictures of the lake, exposing its current state of neglect, filth, and suffocation under plastic waste. His post, which quickly went viral, carried a desperate plea:
“This is Khushal Sar. Can we please raise some alarm? Can we please get in touch with the media, the administration, or those who look after our planet? This part of Khushal Sar looks like it’s already dying a painful death. Is it going to be too late for this one too?”
-
Netizens writing dismay about the dying Lake.
The images he shared tell a story of despair—a lake once known for its crystal-clear waters now resembling a garbage dump, with plastic waste floating aimlessly, suffocating the ecosystem that once thrived within it.
The anger among netizens is palpable. Farooq Kuthoo, another concerned citizen, did not mince words in his response.
“Every water body and wetland here tells a similar story. We are beasts, not humans… we have completely lost our civic sense.”
His words reflect the frustration of many who believe that the destruction of Kashmir’s natural resources is a result of not just government neglect but society’s collective failure.
Adding to the dismay, Mir Khurshid recalled the efforts that had once breathed life back into Khushal Sar.
“This Sar was cleaned last year by Mr. Wangnoo & his team… but look at it now. This is a nation without conscience.”
Manzoor Wangnoo, a name synonymous with lake conservation in Kashmir, has been instrumental in the revival of water bodies through the Nigeen Lake Conservation Organisation (NLCO). As the Chairman of NLCO, Wangnoo has led massive restoration efforts, reviving water channels, removing decades-old waste, and pushing for policies to safeguard the remaining lakes of Srinagar. His team’s efforts helped clean Khushal Sar, Gilsar, and Nigeen Lake, giving these dying water bodies a second chance. However, the current state of Khushal Sar shows that without long-term protection and public responsibility, even the most well-intended efforts can be undone in a matter of months.
Wangnoo’s work has demonstrated that conservation is possible, but it requires more than just clean-up drives. It demands sustained public awareness, strict law enforcement, and community participation. The question remains—why was Khushal Sar allowed to regress into ruin so soon after a massive cleanup?
As the cries for action grow louder, the appointment of Shahid Saleem as the new Vice Chairman of the Lake Conservation Management Authority (LCMA) offers a glimmer of hope. Kashmirs famous RTI and Environmental activist Dr. Raja Muzaffar Bhat voiced confidence in the new administration.
“The LCMA has an able administrator now. I am sure he will carry forward the mission of Haji Manzoor Wangnoo.”
But optimism is not enough. The concern is not just about reviving Khushal Sar today but ensuring that it never falls into decay again. What good is a clean-up if, months later, the lake is buried under filth once more?
Khushal Sar’s fate is a reflection of Kashmir’s larger environmental crisis. The valley, once known for its pristine lakes and rivers, is watching them turn into sewage pools, suffocated by plastic, encroachment, and apathy. This is not just about one lake—it is about a pattern of destruction that threatens the very lifeblood of Kashmir’s environment.
If Khushal Sar dies, it will not be because nature failed—it will be because we did. The people of Kashmir must now decide: Will we continue to be silent spectators to the death of our lakes, or will we rise to protect what little remains? The answer will determine whether future generations will inherit the paradise we once knew, or a wasteland we chose to ignore.
