KHYBER: The residents of the entire Tirah are awaiting vaccination against coronavirus as the health authorities and district administration are yet to establish a vaccination centre in the valley.

The residents of the area told Dawn that they were at risk of contracting the deadly virus as a considerable number of tourists were visiting different parts of the valley on a daily basis.

They said that in the absence of hotels and guesthouses in the area, most of the tourists stayed with locals at their private houses and multiplied the danger of spreading coronavirus among the residents.

Nauroz Khan, a dispenser in Bagh-Maidan Markaz, said that there was also no provision for the tourists to conduct coronavirus test before entering the valley.

He said that both locals and tourists abhorred wearing of face masks and practicing social distancing while visiting Bagh-Maidan Markaz, the region’s largest and oldest business centre.

Haji Shareef, a local trader, said that tourists from almost all parts of the country were visiting Tirah and even a group of Bengalis from Karachi stayed at his hujra for three days, albeit without observing any coronavirus-related SOPs.

Sources said that police and security personnel in different parts of the valley were also not inoculated against the deadly virus while the polio health workers got Covid-19 vaccine from the bordering Orakzai tribal district.

People of Sheen Pokh, Loe Shalman and Kam Shalman, the far flung areas of Landi Kotal tehsil, have also demanded establishment of vaccination centres in their respective areas.

Duniya Gul, a resident of Loe Shalman, told Dawn that they had to go to landi Kotal to get themselves vaccinated with majority of the locals could not afford to cover the long distance owing to their weak financial position. Health authorities in Landi Kotal said that a vaccination centre was established in Gogreena area on Saturday to facilitate the residents of Bazaar-Zakhakhel.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2021