SWAT: Nature lovers and ecotourism activists have urged tourists to respect the natural beauty of picnic spots and not to pollute the scenic sites with litter, also calling for the authorities to stop haphazard constructions defacing the natural beauty of the area.

They said Swat valley had hundreds of tourist spots with a combination of mountains, gushing streams and rivers, glacial lakes, roaring waterfalls, lush green meadows and dense forests, but recently a plethora of concrete buildings had not only defaced the pristine beauty but also made the resorts look unnatural.

“We recently visited Mahodand Lake but were shocked to see the unplanned constructions and camping tents coming up along the lake, which has distorted its natural beauty and charming look,” said Irfanullah Khan, an ecotourism activist and trekker.

Mahodand Lake is one of the most famous and beautiful lakes in Swat valley located 35 kilometres from Kalam. The lake is known for high-quality trout fish. In local parlance, Mahodand means fish lake.

“Not only the lake but the entire valley from Kalam to Mahodand offers diverse scenic locations, including emerald-coloured rivers, snowcapped mountain peaks, precious cedar trees, springs, and blue-water lakes. In short, the whole valley is a paradise for nature lovers,” said Talah Siddiqui, a tourist.

“It is no more the same beautiful and serene lake amid haphazard camping and constructions. The government must stop such an activity, or the lake will lose its charm,” said Amjad Ali, a civil society activist.

He said unplanned constructions were underway not only in Mahodand area but in other tourist resorts of Swat.

The civil society members demanded that the government immediately take steps to stop the unplanned constructions to save the valley’s natural beauty.

“There must be proper laws for all the tourist resorts, and a ban must be imposed on the riverside and lakeside constructions,” said Fayaz Khan, a civil society activist in Mingora.

Assistant commissioner, Bahrain, Ishaq Ahmad said a proper campaign had already been launched by the district administration to discourage the irregular camping and construction of buildings around tourist resorts. “The district administration has imposed the Section 144 on the riverside constructions and encroachments,” he said.

Mr Ahmad said the district administration had also launched a social mobilisation and advocacy campaign to convince the people of Matiltan and other areas not to establish camping sites and raise constructions along the Swat River as well as along the Mahodand Lake.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2022