Geological marvel Fort Munro hit hard by lack of facilities

Silent rocks on way to Fort Munro offer clues to cataclysmic event

MULTAN: The Fort Munro hill station in Dera Ghazi Khan District, standing at a height of 6,470 above sea level, is part of the Suleman Range and one of the few places in Punjab which receives snowfall every now and then. It attracts a number of tourists every year, particularly those who wish to escape from hot plains of southern Punjab to enjoy mild and pleasant weather.

However, the lack of civic facilities, including drinking water has affected the image of the spot. Non-availability of water and electricity in the area adds miseries to the visitors as well as locals.

Earlier, in the British era, people fetched water from a lake at Fort Munro for drinking purposes. The British had established a conventional filtration system by the lake to make the water clean. With the passage of time, the system fell short of meeting the needs of population of the resort.



Fort Munro connects Punjab with Baluchistan and was originally known as 'Anari Mol' (Hilltop with pomegranates in Balochi language).

The silent rocks on the way to Fort Munro, among many other things, offer clues to the cataclysmic event that resulted in the extinction of the dinosaurs some 65 million years ago and the emergence of mammals thereafter.

A thin grey or brown line laid into the rock is the cretaceous and the tertiary boundary, commonly known as the K-T boundary. This boundary is the distinct layer of geological sediments delineating the cretaceous and tertiary periods, and linked with the massive asteroid impact that may have led to the extinction of dinosaurs and other species. It is found all over the world.

A commemorative stone erected at the place. PHOTO: FILE

Remains of a citadel of the fort. PHOTO: FILE

A visitor said, “It is wonderful to experience the snowfall, but the lack of food and water spoiled the enjoyment.”

He added that the government’s negligence has ruined this place. “We don’t even have clean drinking water and are roaming around with kids in the open as most guest houses have increased their rates,” he said.

“We cannot afford high prices to enjoy this lovely weather,” he said. Another visitor, Mirza Yaqoob, demanded of the government to provide facilities like those found in Murree. He urged the private sector to invest in the area to boost tourism.

A local said that the charges of water tankers have increased as one water tanker costs Rs5,000. He added water supply in the area has been disrupted for the last three months.



Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Energy Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari said widening of roads and construction of parks in South Punjab’s only health resort Fort Munru is being carried out at a cost of two and a half billion rupees to develop it as a tourist spot. He added the government is utilizing its resources to provide basic amenities of life to the region on priority basis and address the grievances of the people.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 28^th, 2017.