The alarming reality behind the captivating view of ‘Attabad Lake’

Have you ever imagined that what will happen if nature repays you what you are paying it?

We all know that the natural calamities happening everywhere in the world are now accelerated because of anthropogenic activities. The perils of Climate Change pose a threat to not only nascent states but developed countries too are ailing with this grave issue.

There is a pleasing but dreadful example at the same time of human intervention in nature present in Pakistan, known as ‘Attabad Lake’, where to get the better results of human engineering for gearing up country’s economy turned into a huge catastrophe.

When I visited Attabad lake, unaware of the tragic reason for its creation, the captivating view of the lake hold my breath. Its first glimpse was like a dream come true. You can never imagine by looking at it that, its scenic view is a result of a mishap that occurred in 2010.

However, Attabad lake was a formation of a massive landslide that took the lives of many people and also caused damage to the infrastructure of the Karakoram highway. Before the landslide occurred at that place there was used to be a valley known as ‘Attabad Valley’.

In 2010 due to an earthquake which according to the geologist’s research, as a result of megaprojects started in Hunza, by both Chinese and Pakistani engineers to accelerate the trade from Karakoram highway is the main reason for this mishap. The landslide destroyed the valley and took the lives of 20 residents living there, forcing many to displace. It also destroyed a part of Karakoram Highway and blocked the flow of the Hunza River for almost five months depriving the residents of other areas with freshwater availability.

After the landslide, the flow and level of water remained to change with time, causing many other areas around the lake including Gojal, Gulmit, and others, to fight with the shortage of food and other items due to road access blockages.

Later, the area turned out into an artificial lake known as ‘Attabad Lake’, with the melting of glaciers and rainfall occurring in the area. In 2014 the reconstruction of the Karakoram Highway with the help of Chinese companies took place and a new part of the Highway drowned underwater was built again beside the lake to continue the trade in the state.

Moreover, It is also predicted by the experts that, soon the lake will disappear, as it’s just a reservoir created by unfortunate reason of Nature’s change. So, this is the time for you to visit the place if you want to be a witness in the future to explain the eye-catching beauty of this epic lake, don’t miss it before it disappears, I am sure you will never let that appealing beauty of the nature get off your mind ever.

The blue and green pure water surrounded by the huge Rocky Mountains, the sunshine reflecting through water, and the chirping of birds echoed there will just drown you in itself.

Although, we can’t get away with the fact that Attabad Lake is a warning of nature to Human Beings, informing them that, the way they are treating Mother Nature without any preventive measures taken will result in vulnerable catastrophes in the future as well.

Meanwhile, The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel (IPCC) on Climate Change in its report recently states that, there is clear evidence of rising in the temperature of the earth to 0.6 degrees which had resulted in a 20cm rise in sea level.

As another example of an abundance in the rise of temperature can be proved with the world’s largest iceberg breaking off in Antarctica, which is known as iceberg A-7 calved, it measures around 170 kilometers long and 25 kilometers wide.

To slow down this damage, the countries that pledged to limit GreenHouse Gas emissions to 2.5 degrees Celsius in Paris Climate Accords, are not likely to reach near to their statement. The shortfall to this is also the lopsided distribution of assistance by developed nations to developing states. adding to that, crucial steps should be taken by onus states to ameliorate the climate change issues.