I VISITED Swat valley with friends a fortnight ago. I was very disappointed to see filth and litter wherever we went.

We took the path along the river all the way to Mahodand lake. The entire route was strewn with polythene bags, disposable plastic bottles and food containers. We stopped at Bahrain, where I observed the restaurant staff using the river nearby to dump garbage. At Kalam where the road ends, the river banks were covered in heaps of garbage, which included paper, plastic and tin.

Moving north I saw the glacial streams full of polythene bags, plastic bottles and cans. On our way back, at Mingora bazaar we had to put up with malodorous drains.

Pollution is a menace which has affected Swat’s environment. The local community, tourists and the government should play their respective roles in preventing the destruction of Swat valley.

Basharat Wakhani

Islamabad

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2017