Islamabad, June 19, 2025:Â The Gilgit-Baltistan Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has sealed a 30-room section of a famous resort in Hunza, Luxus Hunza hotel, situated on the banks of Attabad Lake, and fined a penalty of Rs1.5 million for violating construction and environmental laws.
The crackdown came in response to a viral video in which a foreign tourist, travel vlogger George Buckley, claimed that the hotel has been dumping its waste into Attabad Lake, causing a foul smell and discoloration.
While EPA officials stated that their recent inspection didn’t uncover any direct discharge of sewage into the lake, they did find other breaches of environmental protocols. As a result, the hotel has been fined and instructed to solve the issues within a few weeks to reopen the sealed area.
Hotel management however, rejected the latest accusations. Director Shan Lashari labelled the claims made in the viral footage as “false and deceptive,” explaining that the murky water seen near the hotel is glacial silt, rather than hotel waste.
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Local environmental advocates and community activists have repeatedly raised concerns about unregulated construction around Attabad Lake. One such activist, Mr. Zia, stressed that tourism and infrastructure growth should not compromise environmental health.
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Attabad Lake, which emerged in 2010 following a massive landslide that blocked the Hunza River, has evolved into a crucial water reservoir and a symbol of environmental and economic resilience.
Now a major tourist destination in Pakistan, the lake is under increasing ecological stress, sparking serious discussions on the future of sustainable tourism in the area.
