Kumrat Valley likely to draw crowds on Eid

DIR: A large number of tourists are expected to visit the paradise-like Kumrat valley during Eidul Fitr days as the picturesque and scenic area has already received a number of tourists and families who are spending the holy month of Ramazan in a cold weather.

The district administration has started arrangements to facilitate tourists. After the visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to Kumrat a few years ago, the numbers of tourists are increasing day by day.

The valley used to receive a modest numbers of tourists in the past. However, it has received a large number of tourists from within the country and abroad in recent years.

For the last two years, families and tourists also come to Kumrat to spend Ramazan days in the pleasant weather.

Aamir Bhatti, a resident of Gujranwala, said that he has come along with his family to Kumrat for spending Ramazan and Eid vacations. He said they had been visiting Kumrat for the last few years in Ramazan.

Taimur Khan, from Peshawar, said, "Kumrat is really a piece of paradise on the Earth." However, he lamented that the road was in a bad shape and the area can receive more tourists if the government built the road.

On the other hand, many investors and businessmen from across the country have reached Kumrat, trying to secure land for hotels and for other businesses on lease.

Many of them have already established hotels and also installed tentage hotels. On the other hand, Deputy Commissioner Abdul Hameed Khan has called a meeting of assistant commissioners, TMOs and other officers regarding a facilitation plan for tourists.

He directed the Kalkot TMA staff to do cleanliness on a daily basis in Kumrat valley. He also ordered providing each and every possible facility to the tourists. Local people are happy with increase in the number of tourists and said that they were earning millions of rupees each year by setting up hotels and other businesses.

However, the people of Upper Dir complain that the provincial government and tourism authorities are not giving attention to promotion of tourism in Kumrat and Upper Dir. They demanded prime minister to fulfil his promise of promoting Kumrat as a real tourist destination by providing facilities in Kumrat like roads, mobile phone and 4G network and others.