Snow brings joy and problems for tourists

GDA officials accuse provincial highway authority, local govt of failing to take precautions

ABBOTABAD: While the heavy snow in the hills of Abbottabad had attracted tourists from nearby plains, the joy has now turned to anguish since the authorities have been unable to clear the main Abbottabad-Murree road three days after heavy snowfall in the Galiyat area.

The snow has trapped hundreds of tourists who had been visiting the hill stations of Nathiagali, Donga Gali and Ayubia.



Though the Galiyat Development Authority (GDA) has tried to clear the road on the request of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa High Way Authority, they have only managed to clear one track for traffic especially from Bara Gali to Nathiagali and onward towards Donga Gali and Ayubia.

Owing to a narrow section of road being open with the road slippery due to the ice, a large number of vehicles collided with each other vehicles while long queues of vehicles were seen forming on either side of the road.

Though no major accident was reported in the area, a large number of vehicles were reported to have suffered damage.

Abbottabad District Police Officer Ashfaq Anwar said that they have deputed additional personnel along with traffic officials to help clear the road of all sorts of traffic.

He added that the Galiyat police, supervised by the DSP Galiyat Jamilur Rehman, were busy trying to smooth traffic flow. Further, he said that they were providing locals with chains for
their vehicles.

GDA officials told the media that they were trying to contact the KPHA officials to quickly remove snow from the area.

However, they complained that the highway authority has yet to issue tenders for removing snow from the main Abbottabad-Murree road.

GDA officials further said that apart from working to clear the main road, they are also trying to clear link roads. Despite that, roads linking Thandyiani, Pattan Kalan and other hilly areas are still closed.



Galiyat police added that with the help of GDA staff, they had not only cleared the roads but had managed to evacuate stranded tourists from Galiyat. The GDA had also established a facilitation centre being monitored by the GDA officials.

The Ayubia chairlift, which had been closed due to heavy snowfall, has also started working again.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18^th, 2017.