A viral video by a foreign travel vlogger has triggered swift action by local authorities against a private hotel on the banks of the scenic Attabad Lake in Gilgit-Baltistan.

The hotel faces serious allegations of discharging untreated sewage into the lake’s pristine waters, prompting environmental concerns and a public outcry on social media.

The controversy began when George Buckley, a travel influencer and vlogger, visited Attabad Lake and shared a video claiming that the hotel concerned was allegedly polluting the lake. He pointed to a brownish tint in parts of the water and a foul smell, suggesting sewage discharge as the cause. Buckley also cited a local resident who informed him about the alleged contamination.

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A post shared by George Buckley (@georgebxckley)

The video rapidly went viral, sparking outrage among environmentalists, tourists, and citizens who demanded immediate government intervention. In response, the director of the Gilgit-Baltistan Environment Department and the deputy commissioner of Hunza conducted a surprise inspection of the hotel.

Following the visit, the administration sealed rooms with damaged manholes and fined the hotel Rs1.5 million. Authorities also issued a notice instructing the hotel management to upgrade its sewage system within a week in accordance with ecological and environmental standards.

Hotel responds

In response to the backlash, the hotel took to Instagram Stories to strongly deny the allegations. The resort stated that the brownish tint in the lake water was due to natural glacial silt, not pollution. “We have come across a recent video circulating online that falsely accuses our hotel, Luxus Hunza, of discharging sewage into the lake. We strongly deny these baseless allegations. This is a serious misinterpretation of natural phenomena,” the statement read.

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“From day one, we have gone above and beyond to ensure our operations are fully sustainable and eco-friendly. An environmental impact survey was conducted before opening, and all necessary approvals were obtained,” the resort added.

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They clarified that their waste management system is fully compliant with regional environmental regulations and poses no threat to the lake’s ecosystem. Reaffirming their commitment to preserving the natural beauty of Hunza, the resort noted: “Luxus Hunza is more than just a resort—it’s our home.”

The management also invited the public to seek direct clarification instead of spreading misinformation. “The video in question misrepresents natural glacial silt—commonly found in the region’s stream runoff—as pollution. This is a serious misinterpretation of natural phenomena, and we encourage anyone seeking the truth to reach out for facts instead of spreading unfounded claims.”

Later, in a post on their official Instagram page, the hotel claimed that the "adjacent water streams coming from the mountains have natural sediments like mud, rocks and minerals. When these turbid water streams mix with the blue lake water, this causes the muddy/cloudy appearance of water seen near Luxus Hunza".

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A post shared by Luxus Hunza, Attabad Lake Resort (@luxushunza)

It further said that this phenomenon was called "confluence where two separately flowing water bodies meet".

"If one of the water bodies is high in turbidity then this causes a muddy/cloudy water surface at the point of confluence. This phenomenon is more pronounced during the summer times which is why every summer Luxus Hunza is falsely accused of dumping waste water into the lake," the statement added.

Responding to this post, the vlogger, Buckley, alleged that the only document the hotel had released to him and the public that "looks into this environmental issue was the report from July 2021".

"I’ve asked 3 times to see an inspection report after that date conducted by the EPA and local government (which was suggested to be done quarterly in the 2021 report) yet you have provided nothing over the last 17 hours since I asked the first time. When me and my friends were at the property, it smelt badly of sewage. Nothing that a natural occurrence like the silt runoff would create, not even close," he commented.