CHITRAL: Since the completion of Lowari tunnel and its opening to the public transport in 2017, the provision of essential commodities has been quite smooth throughout the year and the problem of shortages has now become history for the people of Chitral.

The district would remain cut off from rest of the country during the winter season which extended to five months starting from December as the Lowari Pass remained closed to all types of traffic with the first snowfall, leaving the people captive within the confines of the lofty mountains on all sides.

Hakim Mujeebullah of Shahi Bazaar said that before opening of the Lowari tunnel the miseries of people would increase in winter season, as the only contact with rest of the country was through the PIA Fokker flights, which were also subject to fair weather.

He said that during the closure of Lowari Pass, the acute shortage of food items, medicines and petroleum products would make the life miserable for the people as prices would also register a significant increase.

He said that the supply of fresh vegetable, fruit and beef during the five months of the winter season would also remain cut off and the people would have to rely on dried tomato powder and stored onions besides pulses and rice as their main food items.

Haji Anwar Shah said that a few affluent traders were encouraged to stockpile the essential food items before closure of the Lowari Pass while the oil products were stored in the depot of Pakistan State Oil in a limited quantity.

However, he said that now the situation was totally different and all daily use items, including fresh fruit and vegetable, were available throughout the winter season.

SNOW FESTIVAL: A three-day snow sports festival will be held in Madak Lusht village of Sheshi Koh valley from 14th of this month in which players from other districts, including Swat, will also take part.

Assistant commissioner, Drosh, Abdul Haq told this scribe that the event was being organised by the district administration with the support of Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said that snow-clad roads to the village were being cleared to traffic to facilitate the arrival of maximum number of tourists.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2020