HUNZA, Attabad Lake, with its famous turquoise-blue water and snow-capped mountains, is known as one of Pakistan’s most beautiful tourist spots. But this week, that picture-perfect image was shaken up not by nature, but by a viral Instagram video.
A British travel vlogger, George Buckley, posted a video claiming that Luxus Hunza, a luxury resort sitting right on the lake’s edge, was dumping sewage into the water. He showed footage of brown, murky water near the hotel and said the smell in the air was hard to ignore.
“The beauty of Lake Attabad is the colour of the turquoise water,” Buckley said in the clip. “If this continues… you can literally see the brown going all the way around. It smells bad.”
His video spread like wildfire — over 1 million views and more than 37,000 likes — sparking public anger and demanding a response from the authorities. And they responded quickly.
The Government Steps In
Just one day after the video went viral, officials from the Gilgit-Baltistan Environmental Protection Agency (GBEPA) and the Hunza district administration showed up at Luxus Hunza for an inspection.
Here’s what happened:
- A newly built section of the hotel — with 30 rooms — was sealed shut.
- The hotel was fined Rs 1.5 million.
- Officials gave the resort one week to fix its sewage system and bring it up to proper environmental standards.
According to GBEPA Director Khadim Hussain, no direct evidence of sewage pouring into the lake was seen during the inspection. But the team did find damaged manholes and poorly maintained pipes, which could leak if not repaired. That was enough to take action.
“The sealed rooms will stay closed until the hotel makes repairs and passes another inspection,” said an official.
The government has also started reviewing the environmental permissions (NOCs) given to all hotels and restaurants near Attabad Lake to make sure everyone is following the rules.
Hotel Says: “It’s Glacial Silt, Not Sewage”
Luxus Hunza quickly responded on Instagram, saying the claims were completely false. They explained that the brown water near the resort wasn’t sewage it was natural glacial water that carries mud, rocks, and minerals down from the mountains.
They also said this happens every summer and every summer, they are wrongly accused of pollution
The Vlogger’s Response: “I Stand By What I Saw”
But George Buckley didn’t accept the hotel’s explanation. In a follow-up post, he said the hotel only gave him an environmental report from 2021 even though that report suggested inspections should happen every few months. He says he asked for newer documents three times, but got nothing.
“It smelt like sewage. Not silt. Not glacial runoff. It was very clear,” he said in his second video.
He also thanked Pakistanis for supporting him and said he was surprised by how quickly the government acted.
“I’ve had wonderful experiences in Pakistan. This doesn’t change my view of the country. But when I see something wrong, I speak up.”
For safety reasons, Buckley said he was stepping back from the situation but not from his stance.
Not the First Time for Luxus
This isn’t the first time Luxus Hunza has come under fire for environmental issues. In August 2024, the hotel was sealed temporarily along with another one, Dolphin Floating Resort for poor wastewater management. At that time, the authorities found that grey water from washrooms and kitchens wasn’t being handled properly. The repeat nature of these complaints has now raised bigger questions.
Bigger Issue: What’s Happening to Hunza?
This incident has turned the spotlight on a deeper problem the rapid rise of tourism in northern Pakistan, and how it’s affecting the environment. Attabad Lake was formed in 2010 after a massive landslide blocked the Hunza River. Since then, it’s become one of the most photographed places in Pakistan. Resorts, hotels, and restaurants have popped up along the water but not all of them seem to be playing by the rules.
Locals and activists are now calling for:
- Stricter environmental rules
- Regular inspections
- Eco-friendly tourism that protects the land and water
“If we keep building without thinking, we’ll ruin the very beauty people come to see,” said one Hunza resident on X (formerly Twitter).
What Happens Next?
For now, part of the hotel remains sealed. The management has been told to fix its sewage system, and authorities will reinspect soon. Meanwhile, the EPA is reviewing the permissions of other hotels around the lake.
Whether this was a misunderstanding or a real case of pollution, one thing is clear: Pakistanis care deeply about their natural treasures and they’re watching. Do you think the government is doing enough to protect Attabad Lake?
