Snowfall, rain disrupt life in KP, tribal areas

PESHAWAR: The life came to a standstill as rain and snowfall continued in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tribal areas on Saturday. Peshawar received 17 millimeter rain while the regional office of the Met Department announced that the current spell of rain would continue on Sunday. Even the overnight rain exposed the efficiency of the civic bodies in the provincial capital as several roads were inundated by rainwater in the morning and the pedestrians and motorists faced untold miseries.

Rainwater accumulated near the Radio Pakistan Peshawar building and under the newly-constructed Mufti Mehmood Flyover. A number of vehicles remained stuck there for hours and the drivers and motorists were forced to arrange fork-lifters to pull their vehicles.

Mushtaq Ali Shah, regional director of the Met Peshawar, said Chitral district received rain 47 millimeter.

Mushtaq Ali Shah said the rain would stop Saturday night at the southern parts of the province while in Peshawar and Mardan divisions it would continue till Sunday afternoon.

The official said the current spell may continue in Hazara division till Monday and more snowfall was expected in upper parts of the division.

BISHAM: The heavy snowfall brought life to a standstill in Shangla. The Bisham-Shangla and Alpuri-Puran roads have been blocked for heavy traffic.

DIR: The fresh spell of snowfall and rain paralysed routine life in mountainous areas in Upper Dir, including Kumrat, Kalkot, Doog Darra

The plain areas in the district received rainfall that brought down the mercury.

The snowfall in Lowari Top and other areas started on Friday night that continued on Saturday.

Dir and its surrounding areas also received heavy snowfall on Saturday morning and continued all the day with intervals. Dir and its adjacent areas received six to eight inches of snowfall. According to local people, the Lowari Top received up to four feet snowfall while the Lowari Tunnel received two feet of snowfall.

The Lowari Top Road was closed to traffic due to heavy snowfall while the road leading to the Lowari Tunnel also remained closed as avalanches hit Nehergah and Maina areas.

Many links roads in the remote Kohistan valley, Doog Darra, Gowaldi, Patrak, Ganshal, Brawal and other areas were closed to traffic after heavy snowfall. The supply of electricity to the various areas including Dir, Panakot, Qashqari, Qulandi, Duro, Sheringal, Brawal, Doog Darra was suspended. The local people in these areas remained indoors due to the drop in temperature. The bazaars and markets remained largely deserted as people preferred to stay at home instead of venturing out in the cold.

CHITRAL: The unprecedented snowfall continued in the valley on the third consecutive day, forcing the resident to remain indoors and triggering road blockade in various valleys. “It’s unprecedented. I have not seen such a heavy snowfall in my life,” said Attiqur Rahman of Khuzh village. Reports said different areas of Chitral received two inch to over four feet of snow. The far-off areas such as Yarkhun Lasht and Broghil have received over four feet of snow. Abdul Nasir Khan and Rehmat Wali Khan of Bang in the Yarkhun valley said that there was no electricity and water as the streams from where water and electricity were supplied to different areas had frozen.

People in all the villages are also facing the same issues. There is no water for cattle and even people living along the riverside are facing hardship in fetching water as the river is also almost frozen.

MINGORA: Rain for the third consecutive day in the plains and snowfall on the mountains  brought the temperature down in Swat and other adjacent areas. Intermitted rain coupled with cold winds lashed plain areas of the district including Mingora City, Saidu Sharif, Charbagh, Matta, Khwazakhela, Kabal, Barikot and other areas while Kalam, Osho, Gabral, Bahran, Madian, Miandam and other hilly areas received snowfall.

KALAYA: Rain and snowfall turned the weather chilly by bringing the mercury down at various areas in Orakzai Agency.

Weather in Kalaya, Ferozkhel, Dabori, Mushti Maila and other areas turned cold due to rain and snowfall. The rain and snow had not only affected dwellers of the areas but also added to the miseries of the internally displaced families who recently returned to the areas.