Heavy snowfall in Galyat breaks 35-year record

ABBOTTABAD: Heavy snowfall on Saturday broke a 35-year record in Galyat as more than 12 feet snowfall was recorded during 20 days of the current winter season.

The heavy snowfall has not only limited tourist movements but also trapped hundreds of thousands of natives in their houses as main Murree road, Ayubia, Khanuspur, Nathiagali and dozens of other link roads are blocked by snow and landslides.

A severe shortage of food items, petrol, oil, firewood, medicines and other necessities of life and days long electricity breakdown pushed the people of Galyat into even deeper trouble where neither district government Abbottabad nor Galyat Development Authority (GDA) tried to lessen the miseries of the people.

Two days back at Kundla, two tourist cars were buried under a glacier from which the locals rescued four tourists. The cars; however, are still buried under the debris.

In many areas of Galyat, glaciers and land sliding has been reported while in the latest incident land sliding blocked the road at Charayin.

People of the Galyat are waiting for road clearance and provision of food items, firewood and medicines. They have also demanded to impose emergency in the area.

While talking to APP, GDA spokesperson Ahsan Hameed said that three Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government departments are working in Galyat for clearing the snow.

He further said that a letter had been written to the provincial government to hand over the task of road clearance to any one of these three departments to end the mix-up.

Ahsan Hameed maintained that proper snow clearing machinery including three paydozers and two blowers were being purchased, adding that two tractors have already been purchased and are being used for snow removal while orders for modification in three compactors were provided by the World Bank to GDA.

After a two day break, a four-day long spell of heavy snowfall is again expected in Galyat as forecasted by the metrology department.

Three more spells of snowfall are also expected in Galyat during the remaining days of February which needs quick action by the local and provincial government.