HUNZA/NAGAR, December 30, 2010 (Balochistan Times): Hunza-Nagar of Gilgit-Baltistan and its adjoining areas on Wednesday night received the first winter snowfall further reducing the mercury to the lowest level. We are today witnessing a heavy snowfall first one in the winter season which has white blanketed the entire area, Prof.Imtiaz A Khan of a local educational institution told APP on phone.Other eye witnesses also informed that due to the snowfall people have stranded in their houses besides multiplying woes of the residents of the area. The local metrological department has also predicted more snowfall on the mountains and land areas of Hunza-Nagar and its adjoining areas during the next twenty-four hours. The people are facing shortage of fire wood due to the snowfall and the timber dealers have also increased the prices of fire wood taking advantage of the situation, a local resident Suleman Khan said. The Gilgit-Islamabad based passengers of PIA are also facing problems as the national flag carrier is not operating its flights due to inclement weather and snowfall in the area. Passengers travelling between Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad on Karakorum Highway (KHH) are also complaining that because of non-availability of PIA tickets they are compelled to travel by road . We have reached from Hunza to Rawalpindi in more than thirty hours time by road as the Pak-China friendship road commonly known Silk route or KKH has been severely damaged due to floods and need repair, Muhammad Ejaz Beg told APP.He added that Chinese engineers have already started work on the rehabilitation of the road which is also causing delay in the travel time. The people of Gilgit-Baltistan have appealed the government for the early completion of the rehabilitation of KKH for ensuring smooth flow of traffic for convenience of the road users.
(THROUGH ASIA PULSE)
(THROUGH ASIA PULSE)