Scenic beauty of Margalla Hills under threat

Margalla Hills National Park's flora and fauna is exposed to serious threats of survival due to regular incidents of fire, and carefree visitors, who hurl waste with impunity.

Spanning over 17,386 hectares, Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP) comprises of six trails (hiking tracks). Four of them are opened for the public, and over 17,000 regular trekkers and casual sightseers visit every week, revealed the data by Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB).

Regular trekkers come with a seriousness of purpose, and take responsibility to avoid littering. However, majority of those who visit occasionally take a day out of their busy routine, and leave behind trash that includes plastic bottles, wrappers, tins, juice boxes, shopping bags and other hazardous material.

Ranked as the third-largest national park in the world, the MHNP is home to rich biodiversity, comprising of 38 species of mammals, 350 different breeds of birds, 32 kinds of reptiles, 9 species of amphibians, and 650 types of plants, according to the IWMB.

Read IWMB staff clean up Margalla Hills hiking trails

The fire that erupts at regular intervals in this natural treasure has catastrophic effects on its flora and fauna. In April 2021 alone, the park bore more than half a dozen fire incidents and reportedly perished a large number of birds during their peak breeding season, IWMB Manager Operations Sakhawat Ali shared in regret. The official, for most of the fires, incriminated the local timber mafia, and visitors for rest of the incidents. These individuals enjoy barbeques or light fires for fun, and do not bother to extinguish it properly before leaving the place.

He vowed to continue educating visitors to protect the park, known as the federal capital's scenic identity. Regarding the safety measures taken by the board, Ali said a team of 12 members was tasked to focus on the four active trails. Meanwhile, 38 officials were engaged to ensure wildlife protection and monitoring in field areas of the park.

CCTV cameras, he said, were installed at the entrance points of each trail under capital's Safe City project.

Meanwhile, the British High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner posted a picture on social media, in which he was carrying two bags full of trash that he collected from Margalla Hills.

This gesture went viral on social media and gave boost to efforts aimed at preserving the natural character of the MHNP.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 10^th, 2021.