Snowfall, rain disturb routine life in Galiyat

ABBOTTABAD: Snowfall and rain have paralysed routine life in Galiyat and adjoining hilly areas of Abbottabad, turning the weather colder and blocking various roads.

Galiyat Development Authority (GDA) spokesman has issued directive to tourists, wishing to visit Nathia Gali, Donga Gali, Changla Gali, Ayubia and Thandiyani, to wait for clearance of roads as currently two to three feet snow has fallen in Galiyat and more snow is expected within the next 24 hours.

The main Abbottabad-Murree road and all link roads are closed due to heavy snowfall and GDA has sent special teams along with tourism police to Charian and Tauheed Abad where land-sliding happens often.

The GDA stated that some tourists have got stranded in hotels of the region and are looked after by the administration, while some are even enjoying snowfall. The Authority says the staff also helped tourists with movement of their vehicles that had developed faults.

At least 30 villages –including Namli Mera, village Keri Raieky, Kala Bagh, Ziarat Masoom, Bakot, Phalkot, Bagan, Ayubia, and Jasatar – have been cut off from Nathia Gali town.

Abbottabad-Nathia Gali road is closed from Bagnother onwards for all sorts of traffic while Abbottabad-Thandiyani road is blocked from Kala Pani onwards.

The chain mafia is looting the tourists and providing them chains for their vehicles’ tyres for hefty amounts of Rs5,000 to Rs10,000 and tourists have no option but to pay them although GDA and local administration are aware of the mafia. Locals demanded action against those offering chains to the tourists on exorbitant prices.

KKH blocked in Mansehra: Karakoram Highway was blocked by landslides in Pattan area of Lower Kohistan district as heavy rain and snowfall lashed upper parts of Hazara division for second consecutive day on Monday.

The rain in plains and snowfall on mountains started in the small hours of Sunday and continued intermittently on second consecutive day in Mansehra, Torghar, Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan and Kolai-Palas, turning the weather severely cold. “The road has been blocked for the last three hours and passengers are stranded in their vehicles between GB and KP on both sides of the road,” a motorist told reporters. The Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road and several link roads were also blocked because of snowfall in Kaghan and Siran valleys.

KALAYA: The rain and snowfall in Orakzai tribal district have affected routine and people have been confined to their homes while the traffic remained thin on the roads.

BISHAM: Local residents, passengers and tourists are also facing tremendous hardships while traveling to and from Shangla district due to heavy snowfall. All the roads have been covered with snow. The police have been directed to help out the tourists and passengers.