Road connecting Naran with Saiful Muluk Lake reopened

MANSEHRA: The road connecting Naran with Saiful Muluk Lake was reopened to traffic on Wednesday after it remained closed for six months.

“The tourists can now enjoy the snow-capped Saiful Muluk Lake as the road linking it with Naran has been cleared by cutting glaciers and removing snow,” Deputy Commissioner Khalid Iqbal told reporters.

He said heavy machinery was used to remove snow and glaciers, clearing the four-wheel track for visitors.“Hundreds of thousands of visitors from across the country and abroad come here to enjoy the mesmerising beauty of the lake,” Iqbal said.

The DC added that situated at over 10,500 feet above sea level, Saiful Muluk was among the highest mountain lakes in the world and attracts a large number of tourists each summer.He urged visitors to avoid littering around the lake and throughout Kaghan valley.

“We have installed dustbins at various points near the lake. Visitors should show responsibility and affection for nature by avoiding littering during their visit to Saiful Muluk and the rest of the valley,” Iqbal said.

He added that work on clearing the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road up to Babusar Top was progressing steadily.“We expect traffic between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan to be restored within the next couple of weeks, following a nearly six-month closure,” he added. Iqbal anticipated a heavy influx of tourists in the coming weeks, especially around Eidul Azha.

“Families visiting Kaghan valley should remain cautious about their safety and avoid going too close to the Kunhar River,” he advised.Following heavy snowfall in mid-November last year, Kaghan Valley was cut off, and the indigenous population migrated to lower parts of Mansehra and the rest of Hazara division.