CHITRAL: The heavy snowfall early Saturday blocked the Lowari Top, the only land route connecting the district with the rest of the country, for all kinds of traffic.
“Yes, the top was closed early in the day. Efforts would be made to reopen the road if the snowfall stops,” said an official.
However, the government has not opened the under-construction tunnel to allow the stranded people to reach their destinations despite the court order and protests by the dwellers of the area.
The Peshawar High Court and a civil court in Chitral had directed the departments concerned to keep the tunnel open three days a week, but to no avail. “Some 100 vehicles have stranded on both sides due to closure of the top,” a passenger Qasim Khan told The News by phone from Dir. He said the passengers also included women, children and elderly persons. The people of Chitral have demanded the government to open the tunnel to facilitate the passengers. Member National Assembly from Chitral Iftikharuddin urged the government to open the tunnel for two days a week to facilitate the people.
“The government must open the tunnel on humanitarian ground as the dwellers of the area have no other option to reach other parts of the country in case of an emergency,” he told The News by telephone.
He feared humanitarian crisis if the tunnel was not opened for two days a week as the area was already short of essentials.
He appealed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to intervene and direct the officials concerned to facilitate the dwellers of the landlocked district. “A famine-like situation will happen if provision of goods is not allowed through the tunnel as the district is alarmingly short of all edible supplies, particularly wheat,” said a government official.
Sources said the National Highway Authority (NHA) has decided to open the unfinished tunnel only for one day a week.
“The district is yet to receive its full quota of wheat. A crisis would occur if the transportation is not allowed through the tunnel,” an official said, requesting not to be named.
Chitral district remains closed for traffic for four to six months due to heavy snowfall on Lowari Top in winters. For decades, Chitralis used to store supplies for winter ahead of the start of the season. Drilling of the tunnel was completed in 2009 and traffic was allowed to use it in winters since then.
Before 2009, it was learnt, district administration and business community would plan to bring and dump supplies. The transportation of the supplies would start in July every year and continue for six months. After the construction of the tunnel in 2009, all those plans were not made as road would remain opened for traffic and people could bring essential commodities round the clock.