Unregulated placer gold mining in Gilgit‑Baltistan now threatens the Diamer‑Bhasha Dam, riverside roads, bridges, and nearby settlements.

In Gilgit‑Baltistan, placer gold mining has increased along rivers and streams, and authorities say the activity risks the Diamer‑Bhasha Dam, roads, bridges, and settlements that sit on the riverbanks. The Gilgit‑Baltistan Environmental Protection Agency (GBEPA) describes the practice as a serious threat to the fragile ecosystem. Heavy mining machinery operates close to bridges and roads. Oil and other materials leak from generators and mix with river water. GBEPA notes that untreated wash water, debris, and sediment from gold‑washing activities are discharged directly into the river without any settling or sedimentation mechanism. These operations violate environmental protection laws, producing water, air, and land pollution and increasing erosion risk to steep riverbank slopes that support infrastructure. GBEPA also highlights that no campsites or waste‑disposal systems exist, and workers lack sanitation facilities, raising public health concerns. A recent notification fined a mining company Rs 1 million and suspended its activities in Nasirabad, Hunza. The company’s premises were sealed and the notification ordered immediate compliance with environmental laws. The Minerals Department and GBEPA lack sufficient staff to monitor these sites. The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has requested measures to control sediment erosion linked to mining at the Diamer‑Bhasha Dam project. An executive engineer from the Communication and Works Department in Astore petitioned for a ban on excavation near bridges over the Indus River.