Tourist rush threatens Margallas

As the first rays of sunlight illuminate the Margalla Hills, Islamabad's hiking trails come alive with a growing mix of families, students, office workers, tourists and weekend excursionists. Before 7am on weekends, parking areas opposite Sectors F-6 and F-5 are packed with visitors eager to enjoy the scenic landscape.

While the hills remain a cherished escape for seasoned hikers, the recent surge in casual visitors seeking recreation and social outings has brought a new challenge: protecting the fragile ecosystem from irresponsible behaviour.

Regular hikers say littering, loud music, off-trail movement and poor awareness among many first-time visitors are damaging the Margallas' flora and fauna. They believe protecting the national park requires more than routine clean-up drives. Visitor education, responsible tourism and stricter enforcement of park rules are equally essential.

Muhammad Ismail, who frequently hikes the Margallas, said littering remains the biggest challenge despite weekly clean-up drives. "Cleaning is done every week, but people still litter on the trails," he said, adding that public awareness is more important than repeated cleaning campaigns. He also called for emergency first-aid boxes near the upper sections of the trails.

Veteran hiker Raja Sajid Riaz, who has spent nearly four decades exploring the Margalla Hills, warned that fire prevention requires greater attention. "Smoking should be banned on the trails by any means," he said, noting that discarded cigarette butts can easily ignite dry pine forests during summer. Another regular visitor, Zafar Iqbal, highlighted the lack of direction signs. "There is a lack of direction signs on the trails. New hikers usually get lost while hiking up," he said.

Health experts frequently prescribe these climbs for cardiovascular fitness and stress relief. Beyond human benefits, the hills protect a vibrant wilderness, sheltering rhesus macaques, grey langurs, barking deer, wild boars, porcupines, more than 400 bird species, and elusive leopards monitored by camera traps. Hikers often push up Trail 3 or Trail 5 to reach Pir Sohawa, where local vendors sell fresh fruit and tea against panoramic views of the Faisal Mosque and Rawal Lake below.

Yet, this overwhelming love for the park has ignited an environmental crisis.

Irresponsible tourism is quietly degrading the forest. Trash clings to the underbrush along heavily populated paths. Regular hiker Ismail believes that relying on maintenance crews misses the real problem.

"Cleaning is done every week, but people still litter on the trails," Ismail says. He argues that public responsibility must replace indifference, while urging authorities to install basic emergency first-aid boxes at higher points along the routes.