Snow cleared from road in remote Upper Dir valley

DIR: Snow has been cleared from Babozo road located in the remote Doog Darra area of Upper Dir district almost one month after the first snowfall lashed the area.

The residents of Babozo village have expressed their joy over clearance of the road. The snow was removed with the help of both light and heavy machineries provided by the district administration.

The area residents said they had been facing difficulties owing to snow on the road. Abdullah, a resident of Babozo, said that they were facing difficulties in taking patients to hospitals in other areas including Dir and Sheringal because they had to take them in beds while walking several kilometres distance.

Assistant Commissioner Sheringal Muhammad Saqib Khan, when contacted, said that they had sent tractors to Babozo road to clear it of snow; however, those tractors could not remove heavy snow, prompting them to move both light and heavy machineries to the area.

He said although the Babozo road had been cleared for traffic, still there was four to five feet snow in the area surrounding the road.

Meanwhile, most parts of Upper Dir received rain on second consecutive day on Thursday and weather remained cold. Dir, Darora, Barawal, Wari, Sheringal, Bibyawar, and other areas received rain all the day with intervals. Some mountainous areas received light snowfall. Most people stayed indoors and markets witnessed fewer shoppers due to the cold weather.