No More New Hotels Allowed Near Hunza’s Famous Lakes

Authorities in Gilgit-Baltistan have introduced a sweeping ban on new construction and hotel expansion around three prominent lakes in Hunza.

The move comes in response to growing concerns over environmental degradation and unregulated tourism development.

Earlier in July, the Gilgit-Baltistan Environmental Protection Agency (GB-EPA) recommended a five-year freeze on building and expanding hotels near Attabad, Borit, and Duiker lakes.

This recommendation followed a series of incidents, including a recent case where a hotel was fined Rs. 1.5 million for allegedly discharging sewage into Attabad Lake. The issue gained further attention after a foreign tourist, George Buckley, posted a video online highlighting the pollution.

A notification from the Hunza Deputy Commissioner, dated July 11, announced the immediate suspension of new no-objection certificates (NOCs) for any commercial or residential construction or expansion in the Attabad, Borit, and Duiker lake areas. The order cited the region’s delicate mountain ecosystem and limited capacity to absorb further development.

Similarly, the Deputy Commissioner of Baltistan issued a directive imposing a region-wide halt on new hotel and motel construction in ecologically sensitive zones. This moratorium will remain until compliance with the Ecologically Sensitive and Critical Areas Rules 2023 is verified.

The GB-EPA had previously raised alarms about unchecked hotel development in central Skardu, the Kachura lakes region, and several valleys and meadows, as well as popular tourist destinations in Shigar, Kharmang, and Ghanche districts.

In a letter to the Hunza administration, the agency called for an immediate stop to new hotel projects in central Hunza that lack proper wastewater management, and a five-year ban on all hotel-related construction and expansion in central Hunza, Duiker, Attabad, and Borit Lake areas. The letter also advocated for a total ban on building along Borit Lake’s shores, stricter boating regulations, and the designation of the area as an eco-tourism site.

The agency’s findings revealed that poorly managed hotel construction and inadequate sewage systems are threatening public health, contaminating water sources. Water testing in the area confirmed the presence of sewage, raising the risk of diseases such as typhoid, dysentery, and hepatitis.

Additionally, the widespread use of diesel generators by hotels is contributing to air pollution, posing respiratory risks to visitors.

The report also highlighted the deteriorating condition of Duiker Lake, attributing it to unchecked hotel development and insufficient waste management. The fragile mountain environment, the agency warned, is at risk of further harm if current practices continue.

To safeguard water quality, maintain ecological balance, and protect against natural disasters, the GB-EPA has recommended a five-year moratorium on all new construction and hotel expansion around Attabad Lake.

The agency also called for restrictions on boating and tourist activities to protect the lake’s status as a habitat for migratory and endangered birds, noting that increased human activity is disrupting these species.