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GILGIT, Pakistan – Pakistan will ban for five years the construction of new hotels around picturesque lakes in the north that attract tens of thousands of tourists each year, a government agency said.

Unregulated construction of hotels and guest houses in Gilgit-Baltistan – which boasts around 13,000 glaciers, more than any other country on earth outside the polar regions – has sparked major concerns about environmental degradation.

The natural beauty of the region has made it a top tourist destination, with towering peaks looming over the Old Silk Road, and a highway transporting tourists between cherry orchards, glaciers and ice-blue lakes.

However, construction has surged in recent years, led by companies from outside the region, straining water and power resources, and increasing waste.

“If we let them construct hotels at such pace, there will be a forest of concrete,” Mr Khadim Hussain, a senior official at the Gilgit-Baltistan Environmental Protection Authority, told AFP news agency on July 18.

“People don’t visit here to see concrete; people come here to enjoy natural beauty,” he added.

In June, a foreign tourist posted a video on Instagram – which quickly went viral – alleging wastewater was being discharged by a hotel into Lake Attabad, which serves as a freshwater source for Hunza.

The next day, the authorities fined the hotel more than US$5,000 (S$6,400).

Mr Asif Sakhi, a political activist and resident of the Hunza Valley, welcomed the ban.

“We have noticed rapid changes in the name of tourism and development,” he said, adding that hotel construction was “destroying our natural lakes and rivers”.

Mr Shah Nawaz, a hotel manager and local resident of the valley, also praised the ban, saying he believes “protecting the environment and natural beauty is everyone’s responsibility”. AFP

PakistanTourismEnvironmental issues

Flooding at Punjab’s Kalabagh and Chashma on the Indus river reached a “medium” level on Friday, prompting the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to issue a high-level flood warning for the two points, as water flows surged due to heavy monsoon rains.

Rescue operations continued in Punjab after recent deadly rains wreaked havoc and claimed at least 63 lives across the province. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has forecasted that five more such spells of rain are expected in the coming days, leading to rising water levels, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

The next spell is expected to begin from July 21 and last till July 28, while the fifth is expected in the first week of August, the sixth in the second week of August and the seventh in its third week.

“The flow of water in rivers is increasing due to monsoon rains and glacial melting,” a statement issued by the PDMA spokesperson said.

According to the data released by the Met Office’s Flood Forecasting Division at 4pm, there was a medium-level flood at Kalabagh and Chashma Barrage with falling water inflow and outflow at the former, and rising flows at the latter.

There was a low-level flood at Tarbela Dam, as well as at Guddu and Sukkur barrages in Sindh, as of 12pm. While the water inflows and outflows were falling at Tarbela and Guddu, they were rising steady at Sukkur.

In view of the situation, the PDMA issued a warning for an expected high-level flood at Kalabagh and Chashma during the next 24 hours.

“Activate flood monitoring and early warning systems,” the advisory said. It also ordered authorities to strengthen embankments, establish relief and medical camps, as well as stockpile essential medicines and food.

According to NDMA’s website, 15 people have died across the country in the last 24 hours as a result of the rains, while 53 have been injured. Eleven of these deaths were reported from Punjab.

Since June 26, 193 people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents across the country and 544 others have been injured, the website data said.

The majority of casualties were recorded in Punjab, the country’s most populous province, with 114 deaths and 437 injuries. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported 40 fatalities, Sindh 21, Balochistan 16 and one death each in Azad Kashmir and Islamabad.

In a statement, the PDMA urged residents living alongside the rivers to evacuate the areas with their cattle. “The Punjab government will fully take care of you and your livestock,” PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia was quoted as saying.

Alerts had been issued to the Sargodha and Dera Ghazi Khan commissioners as well as the deputy commissioners of Mianwali, Layyah, Bhakkar, Kot Addu, Rajanpur and Muzaffargarh.

It directed the local administration, the agricultural, health, wildlife, livestock and transport departments, and Rescue 1122 to remain alert and be fully prepared. The PDMA stressed to ensure ample fuel stock for rescue operations.

Flood level at Kalabagh has been moderate since at least 6am, according to data issued by the PDMA earlier today.

In a statement, the authority said that the water levels at the Ravi, Chenab, and Sutlej rivers were normal, as well as those at Dera Ghazi Khan’s irrigation system.

“The water level in Mangla Dam is 47 per cent and 79pc in Tarbela, whereas the water levels in Indian dams on Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi are up to 36pc,” said the statement.

Rains continue in Lahore

Meanwhile, rains continued in Lahore, with the city recording as much as 111mm of rainfall at Nakhuda Chowk, according to the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa).

From 12:20pm to 3:10pm, the city received an average of 24mm of rain. Tajpura recorded 55mm of rainfall, Mughalpura 45mm, Pani Wala Talab 35mm, Farrukhabad 33mm, Lakhshmi Chowk and Nishtar Town witnessed 21mm each and Johar Town received 19mm of rain.

Upper Mall, Gulberg, Jail Road, Iqbal Town, Gulshan-i-Ravi, Samanabad and Qurtaba Chowk recorded 10mm or less rainfall, while the airport area received none.

Yesterday, Section 144 was imposed across Punjab along with a state of emergency in several districts as heavy rains triggered flooding and left dozens dead.

This year’s monsoon intensity “is 60–70 per cent higher than last year, and averaging 65 per cent more than anticipated across the region”, NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik was quoted as saying by APP.

Deputy Commissioner Syed Musa Raza, in a statement, directed the Lahore Electric Supply Company to ensure uninterrupted power supply. He advised citizens to avoid electric cables and poles, as well as areas where water accumulates.

Wasa Managing Director Ghufran Ahmed and Vice-Chairman Chaudhry Shahbaz Ahmad visited various low-lying areas of Lahore, including Nakhuda Chowk, Bhaati Gate, Circular Road, Akbari Gate, Delhi Gate and Kotwali.

The Wasa top officials were briefed on the water drainage operations, a statement by the agency said. Ghufran ordered the teams to speed up their efforts and ensure that the machinery was fully functional.

Over 1,000 rescued along Potohar plateau: PDMA

Amid the ongoing situation, the PDMA DG directed the administration to stay on high alert.

“PDMA Control Room and District Emergency Operation Centres are monitoring the situation 24/7”, said DG Kathia in a statement, urging the public to take necessary precautionary measures, avoid unnecessary travel, and steer clear of electric wires and poles.

Detailing the PDMA’s rescue efforts in a statement, he said that “more than 1,000 people were rescued along the Potohar plateau, including 398 citizens in Jhelum, 209 in Chakwal, and 450 in Rawalpindi”.

“No loss of life has been reported yet due to anyone getting caught in the floodwater,” Kathia claimed.

The district administration and Pakistan Army personnel participated in the rescue operations, he added. Citizens were evacuated via helicopters in many areas where rescue boats were unable to reach.

DG PDMA stressed that “monsoon rains are predicted to be more than usual this year”, vowing that all resources would be utilised to protect citizens.

Separately, in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Farooq Ahmad, Punjab Rescue 1122 detailed the casualties and damages that occurred due to the recent monsoon rains since June 25.

Rescue 1122 stated that most of the casualties occurred in house collapse incidents — 351 since June 25 — due to dilapidated buildings. It recorded 61 traffic accidents, 22 electrocutions and four lightning incidents, among others.

According to the statement, 15,000 rescue personnel were on high alert across Punjab with 800 boats.

Pakistan experiences monsoon rainfall from June to September every year. The heavy rains also trigger deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the NDMA and the climate and planning ministers to engage the provinces for a comprehensive disaster management plan based on the lessons learnt from this year’s devastating rains and cloudburst events.

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has directed all departments under the Ministry of Interior to improve coordination for better service delivery and performance.

Chairing a high-level meeting in Islamabad, the minister said there is a serious lack of coordination among the ministry’s subordinate institutions, which must be addressed on an emergency basis.

He asked all departments to submit proposals within three days suggesting changes to rules and other necessary recommendations.

A comprehensive plan is to be finalised and presented by the federal secretary of the interior.

Interior Minister Naqvi inaugurates 24/7 passport office in Karachi

Naqvi emphasised the need for teamwork and stronger cooperation between departments. “We need to fully benefit from each other’s strengths to improve institutional performance,” he said.

The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, senior ministry officials, and heads of various departments including the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), NADRA, Islamabad Police, Passport and Immigration, Cyber Crime Investigation, and others.

The minister said that better coordination will ultimately benefit the public and ensure more efficient service delivery.