Hazara division continues to receive influx of tourists
A group of people enjoy a musical performance near Shingrai waterfall. PHOTO: EXPRESS
A large number of tourists continue to visit various areas in the Hazara division even after the Eidul Fitr holidays.
Hundreds of thousands of people from across the country have reached various tourist spots to enjoy the pleasant weather and the serene beauty of the region.
As the mercury continues to rise in Punjab, Sindh and some parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, tourists have rushed to the hilly areas of Hazara where they are visiting waterfalls, lakes, rivers, streams and hills to enjoy the beauty of the resgion and beat the heat of the summer.
Despite good measures by the traffic police of district Abbottabad and Mansehra, the main Murree road leading to Galiyat, Thandyani road, and Mansehra Naran Jalkhad (MNJ) road continue to remain blocked for several hours owing to the heavy influx of tourists.
During the Eid vacations, the weather in the upper parts of the Hazara division remained pleasant with intermittent rain coupled with thunderstorms. The National Highway Authority (NHA) also opened the MNJ road for the first time before the Eid vacations and now the tourists have the opportunity to visit Lolopatsar Lake while the road will be cleared up to Babusar top within the coming few days.
The Abbottabad district administration has directed the citizens to take precautionary measures, avoid unnecessary exposure to the sun, use more water and in case of emergency, contact Rescue 1122, the nearest health centre, or PDMA helpline 1700.
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The district administration also took measures regarding the provision of facilities and information to tourists where Assistant Commissioner Abbottabad Muhammad Hassan Ahsan met the tourists and distributed information booklets at various places.
He inspected the parks along with the officers of the Industries Department and sealed 1 booking office due to a lack of safety and precautionary measures. He also issued instructions to the park administration regarding safety. Many people were arrested for overcharging at parking in Harno Abbottabad.
Additional Assistant Commissioner Revenue Syed Asif Iqbal visited Galiyat where he met with the tourists, inspected the hotels and distributed information leaflets among the tourists.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 9th, 2022.