Chitralis begin stocking flour, rice, kitchen items as winter sets in

CHITRAL: With the advent of the winter season, the residents here have started buying daily use items in large quantities to avoid inconvenience in case of shortage due to the closure of roads after heavy snowfall. The provision stores have sprung up in Chitral selling wheat flour, rice, pulses and ghee and other daily use items. The people could be seen visiting the bazaars to stock the necessary kitchen items to cope with the harsh weather conditions in the landlocked district.

The traders, who normally deal in construction material, have also started selling flour, rice, pulses, cooking oil and ghee as construction activities grind to a halt during the winter season in Chitral.

Scores of new general stores have opened up on both sides of the Bypass Road in the Chitral town. The road along the polo ground is dotted with grocery stores up to the vegetable market, selling a myriad of items. A shopkeeper running a general store at the Ataleeq Bazaar on the Bypass Road said that flour was in great demand and people were buying it in large quantities to ward off shortages during the inclement weather conditions.

He said that the number of general stores had increased which was benefiting the customers as the shopkeepers tended to maintain low prices to attract the buyers.

The shopkeeper said that now wholesale dealers had opened up stores in Drosh, Booni, Ayun, Garam Chashma and Mastuj and the local people were benefiting from them. A costumer said now good quality flour was being sold in the market due to the construction of the Lowari Tunnel. Meanwhile, the local Food Department was transporting wheat flour to the length and breadth of Chitral before the start of the snowfall.