A viral video by British travel vlogger George Buckley has prompted immediate action from Gilgit-Baltistan authorities against Luxus Hunza, a private hotel located near Attabad Lake. Buckley posted a video on social media alleging that the hotel was releasing untreated sewage into the lake, resulting in brown-colored water and a foul smell in the area.

 

In the video, Buckley also cited a local resident who claimed the lake was being polluted by the hotel's waste system. The video quickly gained traction online, sparking public outrage among environmentalists, tourists, and concerned citizens.

 

In response to the backlash, officials from the Gilgit-Baltistan Environment Department and the deputy commissioner of Hunza conducted a surprise inspection of the hotel. They confirmed that several manholes were damaged and fined the hotel Rs1.5 million. Authorities also gave the hotel one week to upgrade its sewage system under environmental regulations.

 

Luxus Hunza, in response to the allegations, denied any wrongdoing and issued a detailed statement on social media.

 

“Attabad Lake formed in 2010. Before Luxus Hunza opened its doors to tourists in 2019, no one had experienced this majestic lake up close. This lake has been home for us for the last six years. It is the reason and purpose of our existence. To dump sewage water into the lake would be like desecrating our own house. We have never nor will we ever dump a single liter of waste water into Attabad Lake,” the hotel stated.

 

Defending themselves, the hotel described the muddy appearance of the water as natural, explaining: “The adjacent water streams coming from the mountains have natural sediments like mud, rocks and minerals. When these Turbid water streams mix with the blue lake water, this causes the muddy/cloudy appearance of water seen near Luxus Hunza. This phenomenon is known as confluence, where two separately flowing water bodies meet. If one of the water bodies is high in turbidity, then this causes a muddy/cloudy water surface at the point of confluence. This phenomenon is more pronounced during the summer times which is why every summer Luxus Hunza is falsely accused of dumping waste water into the lake. Hope this helps. If you have any further questions please DM us.”

 

The hotel maintains that its waste management system complies with all regional environmental regulations.