Transport initiative: G-B govt to run free boat service across Attabad lake

Service to run weekly, during sunlight hours.


Shabbir Mir December 03, 2012

GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) government has launched a free winter boat service for passengers crossing the Attabad Lake.

Shehzad Ahmad, a senior government official, said the decision was taken in view of difficulties that passengers were facing trying to cross the 23-kilomtre-long lake in the winter, when temperatures plummet below -15 degrees centigrade in the Hunza Valley. In December and January, the lake freezes over making any travel there risky.

Ahmad said that the meeting where the decision was taken was chaired by the G-B chief secretary and was attended by senior officials of the Disaster Management Authority, army and local administration officials in Gilgit.

He said the service would be offered once a week and was not affiliated with any private boat services running the same route.

In order to ensure safe, daytime travel, the free boat will also leave at 8am from Attabad to arrive in Gulmit, where it will leave at 12pm again to return to Attabad.

The submersion

The Attabad Lake was formed in January 2010 after a massive landslide blocked  water flow in the Hunza River, submerging approximately 25 kilometres of the highway connecting Gojal Valley with the rest of the region.

Nineteen people in Attabad were killed by the disaster and over 25,000 people in the valley were cut off.

The submersion of the road meant travelling by boat was the only viable option left for travellers.

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Over two years later the government has taken the initiative to run the free service for locals.

In the past, the army has had to rescue passengers from boats get stuck in the middle of the lake due to icy conditions.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3rd, 2012.

 

COMMENTS (1)

Darjat | 11 years ago | Reply

After almost three years of long wait government decides to put free service boat. I wonder if this free service was needed now!

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