KARACHI:
This Eid-ul-Adha, I visited Kumrat for the first time with my family. The valley is located in the Upper Dir district of K-P and it takes approximately 13 hours to get there due to the poor road infrastructure. I was mesmerised by the scenic beauty of the valley — the lush green lands, the snow-covered peaks, the deodar forest, the waterfalls, and the Panjkora river are a few of the features that exemplify the beauty of the Kumrat valley.
Every year, thousands of tourists make their way to the valley to enjoy its natural beauty. However, many are forced to head back because certain hurdles prevent people from travelling further. The roads to Kumrat are dilapidated, making it impossible to reach the destination without a 4WD vehicle. Apart from this, many tourists were seen littering because no dustbins were present in the area. Do they not know that doing so will damage the natural beauty of Kumrat? The government must install dustbins throughout the valley to avoid the accumulation of garbage. The unnecessary construction of several hotels and restaurants have also spoilt the beauty of the area. Due to lack of regulation, hotels charged exorbitant prices for rooms, which not everyone can afford. An absence of security or police in the area was also noticed. People had brought their firearms and were indulging in aerial firing, which endangered the lives of many; regrettably, no one was there to prevent it.
These are some of the major obstacles that prevent tourists from visiting the Kumrat valley. If these problems are resolved, both local and international tourists will be more inclined towards visiting the valley. It is imperative that the government pay attention to these and work towards resolving them at the earliest.
Muhammad Zafar Mehsud
Peshawar
Published in The Express Tribune, August 8th, 2021.
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