Guilt trip

Once a jewel in the crown of Kaghan Valley, Lake Saiful Malook has suffered immensely at the hands of unruly tourists and opposing clans who claim the ownership of the lake during the summer season to earn revenue. Although the feud of the opposing clans was settled through some settlement, littering and garbage disposal is still a pressing issue at the popular tourist spot. The lack of maintenance has robbed the lake of its beauty. The emerald green alpine grass and the flora that once blazed the perimeters of the lake have now perished without a trace. The air that once surrounded the lake used to be pure and clean. Now, a battalion of outdated diesel jeeps that are used to deliver tourists to lake emit grey smoke has contributed significant to air pollution.

Groups of tourists swarm the lake with little or no regard for the cleanliness and preservation of the environment. A quick glance at the lake is enough to show all the waste that has accumulated over the years, especially since the rise of the tourism industry in Pakistan. The lake is a spectacle of deplorable tourist management and total unawareness and disregard for nature on the part of the government. It is time the concerned authorities implemented an organised administrative plan and restore the sight to its original state.

SM Hassan Raza (Islamabad)