Hunza hotel fined Rs1.5 million, rooms sealed after sewage complaint at Attabad Lake

A viral video by British travel vlogger George Buckley prompted immediate action by Gilgit-Baltistan authorities against a private hotel after the foreign tourist complained that the hotel was polluting the Attabad Lake with sewage water.

The controversy erupted when Buckley shared a video claiming that the luxury hotel, Luxus Hunza, was allegedly discharging untreated sewage into the lake.

He pointed to a brownish discoloration in the water and a foul smell in the area as evidence, also citing a local resident who said that the lake was being polluted by the resort’s waste system.

The video quickly gained traction online, sparking widespread outrage from environmentalists, tourists, and concerned citizens.

Amid mounting public pressure, the Gilgit-Baltistan Environment Department and the deputy commissioner of Hunza conducted a surprise inspection of the hotel.

Officials confirmed the presence of damaged manholes and imposed a fine of Rs1.5 million. They also ordered the hotel management to upgrade its sewage system within a week in line with environmental regulations.

A section of Luxus Hotel on Attabad Lake Shishkat Hunza has been sealed by the Gilgit-Baltistan Environmental Protection Agency and the district administration after a video made by foreign tourists went viral on social media, exposing safety and environmental violations.The… pic.twitter.com/MnDk9xwYo8

— Roshan Din Diameri (@Rohshan_Din) June 17, 2025

In response to the allegations, Luxus Hunza issued multiple statements on social media, strongly denying any wrongdoing. 

The hotel attributed the pollution in the lake to glacial silt, a natural seasonal phenomenon known as "confluence," where sediment-rich stream water meets the clearer lake water.

 “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 or cloudy appearance of water seen near Luxus Hunza,” the hotel stated, emphasising that its waste management system is fully compliant with regional environmental laws.

The resort added that an environmental impact assessment was conducted before its opening and that all necessary approvals had been secured. It urged the public to verify facts before spreading unfounded claims.

However, Buckley pushed back, questioning the hotel’s transparency, saying that the only environmental report provided was dated July 2021 and that, despite repeated requests, no updated inspection records had been shared. 

“When me and my friends were at the property, it smelt badly of sewage. Nothing that a natural occurrence like silt runoff would create,” he said in a comment.