Hunza Faces Environmental Crossroads: EPA Urges Immediate Ban on New Hotel Constructions in Central Hunza, Duikar, Attabad, and Borith Lake
The letter cites a comprehensive legal framework that mandates protective action, including the Gilgit-Baltistan Environmental Protection Act (2014) and the newly framed Ecologically Sensitive and Critical Areas (ESCA) Rules (2024).
Hunza: In a move that could mark a significant turning point for tourism and environmental management in Gilgit-Baltistan, the Gilgit-Baltistan Environmental Protection Agency (GB-EPA) has formally recommended a five-year moratorium on all new hotel construction and expansion in four of the region’s most ecologically sensitive zones: Central Hunza, Duikar, Attabad Lake, and Borith Lake.
The letter addressed to the Deputy Commissioner of Hunza, issued by the Director of GB-EPA, highlights a deepening environmental crisis fuelled by rampant and unregulated tourism infrastructure development. The agency’s findings—drawn from recent investigations and environmental assessments—present a stark warning about the deteriorating water quality, air pollution, habitat degradation, and overburdened local resources, particularly in the context of mass tourism.
Unregulated Tourism Threatening Public Health and Ecosystems
In Central Hunza, the EPA has reported that a majority of hotels operate without functional sewage treatment systems, resulting in direct discharge of waste into freshwater sources, including the Hunza River. The contaminated water poses serious health risks such as typhoid, dysentery, and hepatitis for both residents and visitors. Additionally, the excessive use of diesel generators by hotels has been flagged for causing significant air pollution, undermining the valley’s image as a pristine, nature-based tourist destination.
The EPA warns that the carrying capacity of Central Hunza has already been exceeded, and further expansion of tourism facilities could result in “irreversible damage to the environment and a declining tourist experience.”
Duikar and Attabad Lake at Risk
The hilltop settlement of Duikar, famous for its panoramic sunrise views, is experiencing rapid environmental degradation due to mushrooming hotel structures, which lack proper waste disposal mechanisms. Solid waste, sewage, and over-extraction of local resources are putting pressure on the fragile mountain ecosystem.
Meanwhile, Attabad Lake, recently designated as a critical drinking water source under the Greater Hunza Water Supply Scheme, is under immediate threat from lakeside hotel construction. The EPA warns that if unregulated development continues, it could jeopardise the quality of drinking water, increase the risk of flash floods and landslides, and disturb the delicate ecosystem of the lake.
The EPA has called for a strict ban on any further construction around Attabad Lake, along with regulation of boating activities to keep them within safe carrying capacity limits.
Borith Lake’s Protected Status Undermined
Borith Lake, a high-altitude wetland recognised under the Gilgit-Baltistan Forest Act, 2019, serves as a crucial habitat for migratory and endangered bird species. The EPA has raised alarms over sewage runoff from nearby hotels, which risks eutrophication and collapse of the lake’s aquatic ecosystem. Boating and human activity have also been cited for disturbing bird nesting grounds.
To safeguard its ecological integrity, the EPA has recommended that Borith Lake be formally designated as a protected eco-tourism zone, with a complete halt on all construction and strict regulation of activities around the lake.
Legal Backing and the Call for Sustainable Tourism
The letter cites a comprehensive legal framework that mandates protective action, including the Gilgit-Baltistan Environmental Protection Act (2014) and the newly framed Ecologically Sensitive and Critical Areas (ESCA) Rules (2024). These instruments empower district administrations to restrict harmful development and uphold environmental rights.
More importantly, the EPA is urging the district administration to lead a strategic shift from mass tourism to eco-tourism—one that prioritises minimal ecological footprint, promotes community-led businesses, and safeguards Hunza’s cultural and environmental heritage.
Key Recommendations from GB-EPA
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Immediate halt to all hotel construction lacking wastewater treatment systems.
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Five-year moratorium on hotel construction and expansion in Central Hunza, Duikar, Attabad Lake, and Borith Lake.
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Full construction ban around Borith Lake and regulation of boating and recreational activities.
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Adoption of a sustainable urban planning framework and carrying capacity assessments before lifting the moratorium.
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Formal designation of Borith Lake as an eco-tourism zone.
A Crossroads for Hunza
In concluding its letter, the GB-EPA warns that failure to act now will lead to irreversible loss of one of the world’s most iconic mountain landscapes. The short-term profits of unchecked tourism growth, the agency notes, cannot be allowed to outweigh long-term health, environmental, and economic sustainability.
