UPPER DIR: It continued to snow in most parts of the Malakand and Hazara divisions on the third straight day on Friday, blocking roads and disrupting power supply.

In Upper Dir, Lowari top, Komrat, Thal, Qulandi, Shahi and other mountainous areas received several feet of snow during the last three days. According to assistant commissioner Fahim Sajjad, Lowari top received up to five feet of snow, while Komrat, Thal, Shahi, Sunai Darra, Nusrat Dara received two to three feet of snow. 

In Dir town, snowfall started on the night between Wednesday and Thursday and continued with short intervals.

The heavy snowfall blocked the Lowari top to traffic with dozens of loaded trucks stranded in Qashqaray area. Many Chitral-bound passengers were forced to stay at hotels in Dir due to closure of Lowari top and Lowari tunnel.

In Swat, snowfall blanketed the Maughuzar mountains with white sheet, attracting tourists in large numbers.

Located some 16km from Mingora, Marghuzar valley is a popular tourist resort as it also houses famous White Palace of the Swat, which always remains busy with local and national tourists. “This is the best place for outing in both summer and winter as we can reach here just in an hour and this is why during snowfall it is crowded with local tourists,” Kabir Khan, a lawyer from Saidu Sharif, told Dawn. The snowfall also brings happy time for local restaurant owners and shopkeepers who say their sales go five times higher.

In Shangla, the district administration started clearing roads and restoring electricity supply and landline telephones as weather cleared in the afternoon on Friday. The snowfall and intermittent rains started on Wednesday and continued till Friday morning, with the Shangla top receiving 10-inch show, Yakh Tangi top one feet and Chakesar Kandao nine inch of snowfall.

The Pak Army cleared the Shangla top for traffic while rest of the roads was being cleared by the C&W department.

In Lower Dir, heavy rain in plains and snowfall on hilltops continued for two days. Snow covered hilltops of Talash, Laram, Rabat, Maidan, Bin-Shahi and Barawal. The local farmers and agriculturists termed the spell of rain and snowfall very fruitful for standing crops and fruit orchards.

In Bajaur, the second spell of rain and snowfall started on Wednesday and continued on Friday, disturbing daily life as electricity remained suspended in most parts of the agency.

Local residents said they had been facing water shortage due to suspension of electricity. Prices of firewood also increased during the last few days due to shortage of LPG and suspension of electricity.

In Chitral, the continued snowfall in most parts of the district increased the demand for oak wood for heating purposes. Talking to Dawn on Friday, a number of owners of wood stalls in the city said that oak wood was used throughout the year for cooking purpose, but its consumption increased five times during winter. They said the oak forest was fast depleting due to high consumption of wood. Sher Gulab, a stall owner, said the forests of southern and central parts of Chitral were packed with oak trees and its wood was available to local people at cheaper price. He said the depletion of oak forests started with the arrival of Afghan refugees in early 1980s who harvested it for their own use and earning as well.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2015

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