Srinagar, Oct. 13 -- Brari Nambal is collapsing under neglect. A lagoon that once sustained Dal Lake's hydrology and stood as a centrepiece of Srinagar's natural heritage has been reduced to a dumping ground. Its decline began when its outflow channel was blocked decades ago, and despite later engineering interventions, the absence of consistent care has left the water body in ruins. What was once a functioning ecosystem is now stagnant water, choked with weeds, garbage, and encroachments.

The lagoon's boundaries have been eaten away by construction, workshops, and trading activity. Waste is routinely dumped into its waters, stripping it of any ecological function. The closure of its outflow gate during high water levels in the Jhelum wo...