Bashir Hussain Azad
CHITRAL: The Snow Leopard Foundation (SLF) Chitral office in collaboration with the Wildlife Department and Upper Chitral district administration conducted an awareness and cleanliness campaign promoting eco-friendly and responsible tourism at Shandur.
Shandur, known as the natural habitat of the elusive snow leopard and traditional grazing ground for the people of Laspur, becomes a hotspot for tourists during the annual Shandur festival. However, the large influx of visitors also results in significant waste generation, often left scattered in open areas. This poses health risks not only to the local environment but also to free-ranging livestock that may ingest this waste.
While the district administration organizes post-event cleanup, maintaining cleanliness during the event itself remains a challenge. To address this, SLF initiated an on-ground awareness drive under the leadership of Regional Program Manager Jamiullah Shirazi.
The campaign included awareness walks, public announcements, interactions with shopkeepers, and organized cleaning drives, in cooperation with local community organizations, including community wildlife guards from Laspur.
Shopkeepers and hotel owners were provided with plastic bags to properly dispose of their waste, which was later collected by TMA staff and safely dumped at designated locations.
SLF expressed its gratitude to all stakeholders, particularly the district government, Wildlife Department, and local community groups, for their cooperation in making the campaign a success. Highlighting the ecological significance of Shandur as a snow leopard habitat, SLF emphasized that protecting the region\’s natural environment remains one of its core priorities.