From quaint hamlets in Himachal Pradesh to Goa’s popular beaches, plastic pollution has been an issue across the country. Discarded wrappers in water bodies, litter strewn across tourist hotspots, and dustbins that are more decorative than functional—we have all contributed to the problem in one way or another. That’s why it was both surprising and inspiring to learn about 69-year-old Ellis Hubertina, a Dutch woman who has taken it upon herself to clean Kashmir’s Dal Lake. Scroll on to know her story.
Dutch Lady Cleans Kashmir’s Dal Lake
X user Basit Zargar’s post came as a rude awakening to tourists who often forget to respect the sanctity of the place they are visiting. The post showed Ellis Hubertina, a Dutch national who has been living in Kashmir for a while and has been cleaning the famous Dal Lake for the last five years!
In the video shared, you can see Ellis picking up plastic waste and water bottles that have been carelessly thrown in the lake and gathering them to ensure proper disposal. In a solo cleaning drive, she can be seen seated on a boat that rows around the lake to collect the waste.
She explains how careless disposal is one of the biggest problems that add to plastic waste in Dal Lake. She also points to the many bins nearby that people often ignore. Ellis spoke about how collecting waste from the land is easier and if people learn to use bins properly, she wouldn’t have to take out her boat to carry out such cleaning drives.
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Her Mission Against Plastic Pollution In The Valley
The Dutch woman is now on a mission to clean up Dal Lake and no, she isn’t doing this for fame. She said doesn’t care about being famous but she definitely cares about the environment. No big change can come from a single person, and Ellis is aware that while she can’t possibly clean up the entire lake by herself, she does wish to create some awareness among the locals and tourists.
She happily shared that when people see her cleaning the Dal Lake, streams or other tourist places in Kashmir, they join in and help her with cleaning. According to her, she sees this as a good change and hopes more people join her on this cleanliness mission to protect the environment.
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What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.
Image Courtesy: X/@basiitzargar
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