GILGIT, July 18 (Alliance News): The government has imposed a five-year ban on the construction of new hotels near lakes in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) to combat environmental degradation in the ecologically sensitive region, a senior official of the Gilgit Baltistan Environmental Protection Authority confirmed on Friday.
The move comes amid rising concerns over unregulated development, which has surged due to increasing tourism and outside investment. With approximately 13,000 glaciers—more than anywhere else in the world outside the polar regions—GB’s fragile ecosystem is under threat from unchecked construction, resource overuse, and waste mismanagement.
“The pace of hotel construction is alarming. If we let them continue, there will be a forest of concrete,” warned Khadim Hussain, a senior official of the GB Environmental Protection Authority. “People don’t come here to see concrete; they come to experience the natural beauty.”
In recent years, the region’s stunning landscapes—featuring glacier-fed lakes, cherry orchards, and the towering peaks of the Karakoram—have drawn tens of thousands of visitors annually.
However, rapid construction has begun to strain the area’s water, electricity, and waste management systems.
The urgency of environmental concerns was highlighted last month when a foreign tourist’s viral Instagram video showed a hotel allegedly discharging wastewater into Lake Attabad, a vital freshwater source in Hunza. The hotel was fined over $5,000 the following day by local authorities.
The new ban has been welcomed by both residents and activists. “We have noticed rapid changes in the name of tourism and development,” said Asif Sakhi, a political activist from Hunza Valley. “The construction is destroying our lakes and rivers.”
Shah Nawaz, a local hotel manager, also supported the decision. “Protecting the environment and natural beauty is everyone’s responsibility,” he said.
The restriction is expected to help preserve GB’s natural resources and sustain its appeal as a pristine tourist destination.
