Tourists drive Audi SUV through Ladakh's pristine Pangong Lake. Viral video draws internet’s ire

A viral video shows tourists driving an SUV through Ladakh’s Pangong lake (Image credit: nontsay/Twitter)

Footage of a group of tourists driving a car through a pristine lake in Ladakh has angered locals and internet users alike. The undated video surfaced on social media over the weekend, where it quickly went viral as people accused the tourists of spoiling Ladakh’s untouched beauty with their irresponsible behaviour.

The short clip, shared on Twitter by a user called Jigmat Ladakhi, shows an Audi SUV with a Haryana license plate driving through the Pangong Tso lake. Two men were seen hanging out of the sunroof, cheering and yelling. The video also had visuals of a picnic table set up with snacks and bottles of alcohol on the water’s edge.

“Such irresponsible tourists are killing Ladakh . Do you know? Ladakh has more than 350 birds species and lakes like Pangong are the home of many bird species. Such act may have risked the habitat of many bird species,” Ladakhi wrote while sharing the clip on Twitter.

I am sharing again an another shameful video . Such irresponsible tourists are killing ladakh . Do you know? Ladakh have a more than 350 birds species and lakes like pangong are the home of many bird species. Such act may have risked the habitat of many bird species. pic.twitter.com/ZuSExXovjp

— Jigmat Ladakhi (@nontsay) April 9, 2022

“Irresponsible behaviour of tourists,” wrote one person in the comments section.

“Shameful behaviour by so-called tourists. Strict action should be taken,” another said.

Ladakh, known for its mountains and serene lakes, has seen a large influx of tourists in recent months, thanks to the arrival of Spring coupled with the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions.