The filth and heaps of garbage in addition to wall chalking and graffiti on stones tarnishing the famous picturesque hiking trails ( Trail 3, Trail 5 and Trail 6) of Margalla hills speaks volumes about the civic agency’s apathy and incompetence due to which these trails wear ugly look.
A forest guard of Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) Muzamil Shah, at trail-6, told Pakistan Today that the board had no equipment to shift the dead animals from the trails.
Sheer negligence of the capital’s foremost civic agency has resulted in lack of a proper system of cleanliness. Litter turns out to be a nuisance for the hikers at trail 5 and 6. Garbage heaps, graffiti, and a general neglect has taken its toll on the once scenic tracks.
The picnickers who come to trek on these trails also turn the resting places into BBQ points where they use wood from trees and leave behind their waste.
A considerable reduction has been witnessed in the number of hikers owing to the nasty smell caused by dead animals and garbage lying everywhere on the trails.
“It is the collective responsibility of the civic management and the visitors to keep the environment clean, there are boards installed at every kilometer that show ‘Do not litter in the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP). Carry your garbage back with you otherwise fine would be imposed’,” said spokesman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and MCI Mazhar Hussain. However, the management said that no fine had been imposed on any violator up till now.
It appears that the environment directorate of the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) has lost its writ over the trail as the ‘rowdy’ visitors demolish everything that comes on their way with impunity. No authority is paying heed to it and no mechanism is in place to check the visitors of Margalla hill trails, very next to the red zone which is a highly sensitive area of the country. This may lead to any untoward incident. Hiking trails of Margalla hills are a perfect example of neglect by the inept bureaucracy.
It was quite surprising that the forest guards were on 24 hours duty. However, even then, they are being paid meager amount of salaries.
Another forest guard of IWMB Imran Hussain who looks after trail-5, said that they are getting Rs 15,000 salary. Moreover, they were housed in the jungle where a small cabin has been set up for them. He said that in one and a half year of his duty, no sweepers of MCI, CDA came and work.
It is worth mentioning that the IWMB is responsible for taking care of the trails. At every trail, there is a forest guard living in a four-wall structure without basic amenities.
A regular hiker on trail-6 and a student of Islamic University Jahangir Khan, spoke to Pakistan Today and said that on the entrance there are two routes, one remains opens but a board is placed there with the caption ‘prohibited area’. He said that if it is a prohibited area then why the authorities did not install barbed wires and fencing restrict people from going there.
Mazhar Hussain, when contacted, said that the environment wing looked after that area of Margalla Hills and the staff visits trails in routine; however, the hikers also have the responsibility to take care of the trails which is made for them. He said that if there is a heap of garbage and nasty smell of dead animals, it would be cleaned soon.
