Piles of garbage mar Saiful Malook’s beauty

Plastic bottles, bags along lake disappoint tourists

BALAKOT:

Tourists from across the country camp at the foot of the snow-capped mountains to enjoy the breathtaking views of Lake Saiful Malook and the cool weather, but feel disappointed when they see the lake’s natural beauty is dimmed by the piles of garbage lying around the lake.

Without a doubt, everyone is impressed by the natural beauty but the incredible masterpiece of nature, which has been given the status of a national park by the government, has started losing its natural beauty due to constant neglect.

Located at a distance of 10km from Naran and at an altitude of 10,500 feet above sea level, Lake Saiful Malook, which is associated with the romantic tale of Prince Saiful Malook and Fairy Badriul Jamal, is a wonderful masterpiece of nature.

Tourists visiting the lake said that the view and weather of Lake Saiful Malook, nestled between snow-capped mountains and meadows, is a delight to behold but the natural beauty of this beautiful masterpiece of nature is being adversely impacted by the carelessness of the administration and tourists who come for sightseeing.

A tourist named Kazim Ali said that in addition to plastic bags and bottles, children's diapers are also seen lying in many places, which shows negligence on the part of the tourists. He added that the relevant departments should play a key role to play in maintaining and preserving the natural beauty of the scenic tourist attractions.

If timely steps are not taken to maintain the natural environment at Lake Saiful Malook and other tourist destinations, these places will lose their natural beauty in the near future.

Newly-elected Nazim and Balakot Tehsil Council member Ilyas Ahmed termed Lake Saiful Malook an important tourist attraction in Kaghan Valley that is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. He said that although a big chunk of taxes is earned from the famous spot, none of it seems to be spent on cleaning up the lake or providing facilities to tourists.

“I will try my best to ensure that taxes collected from tourists are spent on facilities for them so that they can avail them the next time they visit,” said Ahmed.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 16^th, 2022.