Monday, July 7, 2025

The unfortunate incident that occurred on 27 June 2025, in the vicinity of the Swat River, has brought into sharp relief glaring gaps in the administration of tourism safety. Unfortunately, 17 people, most domiciled in Sialkot and Mardan, were taken away by the sudden increase in the river’s water level. Investigated since, the incident has now raised growing concerns about tourism safety administration in flood-prone areas.

Even though there were warnings and preventive action in place, the tourists in the tragedy disobeyed obvious directions. There had been a warning by the hotel guard about the increased risks of flooding, and he had specifically told the group of tourists to keep away from the riverbank. But these tourists had opted to take another route through the rear side of the hotel in disregard for the prohibitions in place. What was significant in this case was that the hotel had acted properly in laying out obvious warnings but still witnessed the tourists walking into the dangerous area. This highlights the difficulties in implementing safety measures by the tourism authorities.

The search for the missing youth and the rest of the victims, which entered its 11th day, has yet to reach its conclusion. So far, 12 bodies have been recovered, and four tourists have been rescued, but one individual remains missing. The water level in the Swat River surged to a dangerous 77,782 cusecs due to heavy rainfall, making rescue efforts extremely challenging. While the rescue team was alerted at 9:45 AM on June 27, they only arrived at the scene 20 minutes later, at 10:05 AM, when the water had already risen to dangerous levels. By that time, the group had become stranded on a rapidly shrinking landmass in the river, leading to hours of desperate calls for help before they could be rescued.

The tragic visuals, which quickly spread across social media, depicted the stranded group calling for help as the island they were on continued to shrink. The heartbreaking footage raised awareness of the need for more effective emergency response strategies and better communication during floods.

The Commissioner of Malakand Division, Abid Wazir, who has submitted an inquiry report to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, stressed that relevant agencies had been alerted in advance due to flood risks. According to Wazir, authorities had been well aware of the potential flooding and were working toward an early warning system in collaboration with the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). This modern early warning system is expected to be deployed on rivers and streams to mitigate future risks.

The inquiry committee has raised significant concerns regarding the role of local authorities in managing the safety of tourists and promoting sustainable tourism. Wazir, in his report, emphasized that tourism management should not be the responsibility of the Tehsil Municipal Administration but rather fall under the jurisdiction of the Upper Swat Development Authority, which is better equipped to oversee tourist activities and ensure the safety of visitors. He also noted that the tourism sector requires more infrastructure and professional management to thrive while minimizing risks.

Another pressing issue that has come to light is the challenge posed by illegal constructions and encroachments in the region. According to the official anti-encroachment report, more than 200 illegal constructions were identified across the Malakand Division, including Swat. These constructions span over 500 kanals of land, with 78 kanals cleared so far. The encroachments not only pose risks to public safety but also have a significant impact on tourism in the area.

Between June 30 and July 4, 61 buildings were sealed across six districts in Malakand Division. Among these, one building in Swat was sealed, and several illegal constructions were demolished, including those in tourist hotspots like the Swat Valley. Over 115 kilometers of land have been demarcated to prevent further encroachments, and fences have been erected at 54 locations to ensure public safety and protect tourist areas from unauthorized development.

While these actions are necessary for protecting the environment and preventing further risk to tourism, they highlight the complex nature of managing the growing tourism sector in flood-prone and ecologically sensitive areas.

In response to these tragic events, the government has begun to focus on improving flood forecasting and safety protocols for tourists. A comprehensive tourism strategy is expected to emerge, which will integrate local authorities, tourism boards, and environmental experts to create a more sustainable tourism infrastructure.

This plan aims to ensure that visitors are better informed about the risks associated with activities near water bodies and that there is clearer enforcement of restrictions during hazardous weather conditions. The development of an early warning system, combined with enhanced tourism management by the Upper Swat Development Authority, is expected to make a significant difference in mitigating the risks that visitors face in the future.

However, these efforts will need to be supported by robust public awareness campaigns that educate both locals and tourists on flood risks and safety measures. There is also a need for better infrastructure that can quickly respond to emergencies and mitigate the damage caused by natural disasters in the future.

As the inquiry report continues to unfold, it is clear that the tourism sector in Swat, and in many flood-prone areas across Pakistan, requires more proactive governance. The collaboration between environmental agencies, local authorities, and tourism management bodies will be crucial to ensuring that the region can safely handle increasing tourist traffic while minimizing the risks of tragic accidents like the one witnessed on June 27.

The tragedy at Swat River serves as a painful reminder that while tourism can bring economic prosperity to a region, it must be accompanied by strong safety protocols, effective disaster response systems, and comprehensive public awareness campaigns to protect visitors from the dangers of nature.

Where continued construction in Pakistan’s Swat Valley and throughout the nation builds the industry of tourism, it will be important to enhance safety measures and active governance. What has unfortunately unfolded here has brought into sharp focus questions about how best to balance the expansion of tourism and the safety of the citizenry. For the future, it must be used as a lesson for better, stronger, and safer tourism infrastructure so that future tourists will have the opportunity to take in the region’s beauty and be spared avoidable disasters.