Continuous snowfall cripples life in Kaghan, Naran

ABBOTTABAD: Heavy snowfall coupled with rain Tuesday continued on the third consecutive day in Hazara division where upper parts particularly Kaghan, Naran and Babusar Top have been blocked.

Famous tourist spot Shugran received 2 feet snow, Naran and Kaghan more than 4 feet during last 24 hours, Thandyani and Galyat received more than one feet and the snowfall would continue till Thursday which was forecasted by the metrology department. Despite continuous heavy snowfall main Murree road which connects Galyat with Abbottabad, Murree and Kashmir is open for vehicular traffic where snow clearing machinery of Galyat Development Authority (GDA), KP Highways Authority (KPHA) and C&W are clearing the road during the intervals of the snowfall.

C&W is responsible for the snow clearance from the 100-kilometer connecting roads of Galyat and is trying its best to open all link roads, most of the roads are blocked by snowfall or land sliding and people are facing serious issues.

In some areas of Kagan, Naran and Shugran electricity polls and lines have been collapsed owing to the heavy snowfall and people are living without electricity.

Mansehra Naran Jalkhad (MNJ) road from Shugran and onward is closed for all sorts of traffic.

DPOs directed to collect road accidents data: Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Hazara Police Qazi Jameel-ur-Rehman Tuesday directed District Police Officers (DPOs) of the region to maintain a record of road accidents and also identify their places through Google maps. The DIG directed the DPOs while taking the notice of the increasing number of road accidents all over the region.

He said now it’s time to take practical steps to stop the increasing numbers of accidents to save precious human lives.

Qazi Jameel-ur-Rehman ordered the DPOs to direct their staff to collect the data of road accidents that have occurred during the last one year, identify the places through Google Maps where usually accidents take places, and prepare a comprehensive report and sent them to head office within one week.

The police department would discuss the reports with concerned departments who would construct safety walls, install barriers, safety mirrors and would also widen the narrow turns on the roads for the safety of the drivers and passengers, the DIG added.