MANSEHRA: Authorities are relocating the four-wheel-drive vehicle terminal, shops and restaurants built in an unplanned manner to a service area about one kilometre from Saiful Muluk Lake to preserve its natural beauty and ecology. Renowned for its fairy tales, the mountainous lake, situated about 10,578 feet above sea level, has been losing its natural charm due to the unplanned construction of shops, eateries and a terminal where jeeps are parked to transport tourists from Naran.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife Department has started relocating these facilities to a designated service area at least one kilometre away from the lake to protect its water and surrounding environment from littering and pollution. "We have undertaken this initiative to keep this heavenly place free from pollution and restore its natural environment, which has been affected by the construction of shops, restaurants and a jeep terminal along the lake," Sub-Divisional Wildlife Officer Saiful Muluk National Park Abdul Rashid Tanoli told reporters.

He said temporary shops and eateries were being established in the new service area under a conservation plan to balance tourism and environmental protection in the region. Local residents and tourists in the Kaghan Valley welcomed the move, saying unplanned construction, jeep parking and littering had marred the beauty of the lake and discouraged nature lovers from visiting it.

"The jeeps will now be parked in the designated service area, while shops and eateries will also be relocated to properly planned facilities, which could help restore the lake's beauty," Hussain Deen, chairman of the Hoteliers Association, told reporters. He said it was encouraging that the Wildlife Department had taken the local community into confidence, adding that the initiative would benefit both residents and the business community in the valley.

Environmental experts have repeatedly warned that unchecked commercial activities and vehicular emissions pose a severe threat to the fragile alpine ecosystem of the Kaghan Valley. The successful execution of this relocation plan is expected to serve as a model for protecting other high-altitude lakes and tourist destinations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from ecological degradation.