Cold comfort: First winter snowfall graces Galiyat valley

Swat receives rain after three-month drought.

MINGORA/ ABBOTABAD: After an unusual delay of over a fortnight, Galiyat valley received its first winter snowfall on Tuesday. Temperatures plummeted across Hazara Division as the dry spell was broken by snowfall following light drizzle in the afternoon.

The picturesque valley usually starts receiving its first winter snow around mid-December every year. The delay has reportedly occurred after almost 40 years as locals say Galiyat has never seen dry spells in December and January. The drought not only signalled the outbreak of a water shortage but gave rise to numerous seasonal ailments. Light rainfall during the wee hours of Tuesday was followed by mild snowfall after daybreak, which continued till the filing of this report.



Sardar Khalid Khan, a social activist hailing from Nathiagali, told The Express Tribune the plains have received about an inch of snow while the hills surrounding the valley are blanketed in five inches of snow. Khan said the weather trumpets the arrival of tourists from all over the country. Snowfall was also reported in Kaghan valley, Mansehra while Torghar, Kohistan, Battagram, Abbottabad and Haripur received their first winter rains.

Meanwhile, snowfall was also reported in Shangla, Besham, Alpuri, Chakesar, Ghar, Gumtal, Kapar Banda, Yakh Tangay and surrounding areas.

Dry no more

A three-month drought finally ended as Swat valley also received its first winter rains on Tuesday. The valley’s water supply and tube wells were running dry and the weather change irked residents. “We haven’t received a drop of water from the municipal supply for the past three months. We had to fetch water in buckets from River Swat for our daily needs,” said Amjad Ali, a resident of Malookabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 14^th, 2015.