{"id":82136,"date":"2025-07-02T23:15:28","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T18:15:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pamirtimes.net\/?p=82136"},"modified":"2025-07-02T23:17:50","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T18:17:50","slug":"the-monster-in-attabad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pamirtimes.net\/en\/2025\/07\/02\/the-monster-in-attabad\/","title":{"rendered":"The Monster in Attabad"},"content":{"rendered":"

By <\/strong>Inshaal Sarfraz\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Attabad Lake, with its turquoise waters, cradled by rugged mountains, is a balm for the heart. When the Sun shines, its golden rays dance upon the lake\u2019s surface, casting a magical shimmer that feels almost unreal. Locals, as well as national and international tourists, are drawn to this natural wonder. It\u2019s the kind of place one imagines in a fairytale \u2013 a lake where fairies and unicorns dwell, hidden among the mountains. As in every fairytale, there is always a lurking monster. And here, that monster arrived too \u2013 black with greedy green eyes \u2013 its name: Capitalism.<\/p>\n

In recent years, a wave of luxury hotels has begun to rise along the lake\u2019s edges, with many more still under construction. These establishments flaunt their proximity to the lake as a prime selling point, urging tourists to experience \u201clakeside luxury.\u201d The largest tourist facility on Attabad is the Luxus Hunza, whose brightly colored resorts at first glance appear charming. Yet the old saying stings with truth here: \u201cNever be deceived by appearances.\u201d<\/p>\n

The shining blue Attabad lake displayed on Luxus Hunza website is turning murky brown due to hotel\u2019s discharge of its own kitchen and toilet waste into water. As noted by Sarosh Sultan in 2023<\/a>, hotels around Attabad routinely discharge sewage directly into the water due to absence of proper sewage systems. It\u2019s the classic capitalist shortcut: it\u2019s easier and cheaper to dump than to care. A recent Instagram reel<\/a> by international tourist George Buckley captured the unsettling contrast between the usual blue and concerning brown water patches near the hotel zone. However, the most damning evidence lies in 2020 official investigation<\/a> by the Forest, Wildlife and Environment Department, Government of Gilgit-Baltistan. According to the report, although soakage pits for Luxus Hunza were found behind the restaurant at a safe distance, open dumping of waste was clearly observed when the team visited. This waste inevitably finds its way into the lake. Even more concerning, the survey team found that a new kitchen was under construction dangerously close to the lake and concluded that its \u201ceffluent would directly seep into the water\u201d once operational.<\/p>\n

In response to the viral reel, Luxus Hunza defended itself with two claims: (1) that it had obtained all necessary environmental approvals before beginning operations, and (2) that the brown discoloration in the lake is merely glacial silt. However, the 2020 investigation report by the Forest, Wildlife and Environment Department of Gilgit-Baltistan (FWE) tells a different story. It clearly notes that only a conditional No Objection Certificate (NOC) was issued \u2014 one that required the hotel\u2019s new construction to be at least 20 feet away from the lake\u2019s edge. But as is too often the case in Pakistan, such conditions were soon forgotten, and no follow-up investigations have since been carried out. As for the claim of glacial silt, it’s not so easily verifiable. While reports from 2013<\/a> (DAWN) confirm that GLOF events (Glacial Lake Outburst Floods) were common in Gulkin Glacier, which feeds the Attabad Lake, there is no information available to see whether the brown patches indeed caused by glacial silt or not. The FWE Department and Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD)\u00a0should conduct the experiments for verification. However, even if it is glacial silt right now, this still does not explain or excuse the multiple documented instances of poor waste management linked to Luxus Hunza. It is imperative to note that Luxus Hunza is not alone in this. The 2020 report named several other resorts such as Dolphin Floating Resort, Hidden Valley Lake Resort, Whispering Lake Resort, among others that were constructed so close to the water with no room left for filtration systems to be installed. Gray, brown and black waste from kitchens, septic tanks and soak pits directly flows into the lake.<\/p>\n

These capitalist ventures often seek refuge under the cloak of propaganda \u2013 \u2018we care about environment\u2019, \u2018this is also our home\u2019 \u2013 but such statements are hollow without meaningful action. The real tragedy however lies not only in these profit-driven companies but also in the state\u2019s willful indifference which enables and sustains capitalism. The government and its departments often only remember climate change and the environment during floods. Later, the officials go on luxurious international aid tours, the outcomes of which remain unclear always.\u00a0 The GB Government, following the recent social media outcry, has now conducted an investigation, sealed Luxus Hunza, and imposed a fine of Rs. 1.5 million. However, this raises an important question: if the authorities were already aware of these issues as far back as 2020, why was no action taken at the time?<\/p>\n

We live in the age of the Anthropocene \u2014 a chapter of deep harm written by human hands on our home, Earth. But as some scholars argue that perhaps this is not humanity\u2019s footprint at large but the footprint of capitalism. Hence, they emphasize to call this age Capitalocene<\/a> (Matthews) \u2013 an era where profit is prioritized over nature. It is now no longer just important – it is urgent – to resist and stop this. To protect what remains. Water does not only sustain life – water itself is life.<\/p>\n

The contributor is a BA\/LLB student at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Lahore.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Inshaal Sarfraz\u00a0 Attabad Lake, with its turquoise waters, cradled by rugged mountains, is a balm for the heart. When the Sun shines, its golden rays dance upon the lake\u2019s surface, casting a magical shimmer that feels almost unreal. Locals, as well as national and international tourists, are drawn to this natural wonder. It\u2019s the 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