Murree prepping for tourists influx

Murree is likely to experience a dry spell this month as a fresh forecast predicts the hill station will witness snowfall in the first month of the new year.

According to official sources, the next year’s snowfall season is expected to last around two months.

They said for the safety and convenience of tourists, the districts administration has already put in place a plan to ensure security, removal of snow from roads, ample vehicle parking space, and reasonable hotel rates.

A control room has been made fully functional at the Murree GPO Chowk for monitoring the implementation of the plan, they added.

The officials further said, the number of civil defense personnel and volunteers has been increased from 15 to 100.

The baton-holding cohort of volunteers and personnel with also be equipped with taser guns, electroshock weapons used to incapacitate a target by either temporarily disrupting voluntary muscle control or through pain compliance, they added.

The officials said the civil defense department will provide these taser guns to them.

District Civil Defense Officer Talib Hussain told The Express Tribune that according to the meteorological department, the snowfall season in Murree will begin in January and will continue till February 28, 2023.

He said uniformed volunteers will be deployed at various points of the hill resort including markets, picnic spots and entry and exit points. These volunteers have already been assigned duties, he said, adding that Murree Deputy Commissioner Ahmed Hassan Ranjha has also approved this plan.

The official informed that taser guns are being acquired on an urgent basis to tame those getting into brawls with tourists.

The civil defense squad’s guide room will also remain functional at the GPO Chowk throughout the season to provide travel information to the tourists, he said and added that this squad will consist entirely of local youth.

He further said the traffic police have also been assigned additional duties and the real-time data of vehicles entering from all entry points of the hill resort will be shared with the monitoring room.

If more vehicles arrive than the daily limit, an alert will be issued to stop the entry of more tourists, he maintained.

On the other hand, the highways department has acquired 12 snow-clearing vehicles for removing snow from the roads. These vehicles will operate round the clock in separate shifts during the snowfall.

The official also warned that cases will be registered against those fleecing tourists and violating the plan.

Officers of all departments concerned will remain in Murree during the snowfall season, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 20^th, 2022.