IWMB concerned over increasing vehicular traffic in Margallas

By Our Correspondent
June 15, 2021

Islamabad: Increasing number of visitors to Daman-e-Koh and Pir Sohawa have become a nuisance for the animal and bird species especially during the ongoing breeding season in the Margalla hills.

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According to the details, the number of vehicles that reach hilly recreational spots in the Margalla hills at the evening time has increased manifold in last few weeks. The wildlife species usually search for food at evening or night time when they find isolation and serene environment. But these days the flow of vehicular traffic starts increasing at the evening time and it continues till late night.

The noise and lights produced by the vehicles force the wildlife species to remain in hide due to which they cannot be able to search for their food. The Margalla hills were declared a national park in April 1980. Lack of proper waste management and cleanliness created an ugly look besides damaging natural habitat of the precious wildlife in the area.

Many visitors throw plastic bottles and other waste in the forest area and pollute the hills. The commercial activities in Margalla hills without any proper planning are also disturbing the wildlife species.

The Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) has been striving hard to create a congenial environment for the wildlife species in the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP). But the increasing human interventions are likely to sabotage all its efforts.

The IWMB chairperson in her message said “This is what we allow inside our protected MHNP: Concrete buildings and cars galore. And then we complain that Islamabad temperature is touching 44 degree centigrade! Private restaurants are also dumping their sewage inside MHNP.” She said “These are all petrol and diesel cars that spew out dirty emissions. They have no business being parked inside the national park at night, disturbing nocturnal wildlife.”

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