SWAT: Tourists are flocking to the ‘newly-discovered’ designations here after the recent heavy snowfall.

They told Dawn that most tourist crowds in the district were attracted by Malam Jabba, Kalam, Gabin Jabba and a few other winter resorts, so scores of other such places were not known to visitors.

“We [friends] go to snow-bound resorts every year and have so far visited nearly all known places of Swat. This time, we explored a new place, Gallai Sar in Madyan valley, with the help of a local trekker,” said Amjad Ali of Mingora.

He said Gallai Sar turned out to be a fascinating place in the wake of heavy snowfall.

“Snow blanketed the entire area with the white beauty spread everywhere to captivate us all,” he said.

Insist scores of places unexplored

Faisal Saeed, a trekker and adventure tourist, said Gallai Sar was a completely new site for him that was enchanting and pristine.

He said the area offered everything a tourist loved to see.

The other tourists said Gallai, Chappar and Mingrai areas had a great potential for tourism in both winter and summer seasons.

“This region has peaks covered with snow, thick forests, wide pastures, and freshwater springs everywhere. High peaks, including Spin Sar’s, add to the beauty of Swat,” said trekker and tourist guide Mohammad Rahim in the Madyan area.

He added that the government should build a proper road to the area.

Meanwhile, the residents complained that heavy snowfall caused multiple problems for them. They told Dawn that living conditions in the freezing weather were unbearable and that the communication and transportation issues caused shortages of food and other essential items.

The area is linked from Madyan town to Shagram village by a dirt track. During the winter season, it becomes hard to go to Gallai Sar and beyond due to slippery roads.

“During winters when heavy snow blocks our link road, we cannot move to Madyan town, so we have to stock food and other items for months,” Gallai Sar resident Ayub Khan told Dawn.

The resident said he and other locals struggled to take patients to the hospitals in an emergency.

“In urgent situations, we put our patients on charpoys and tie them up with ropes before taking them to the hospital in Madyan Town by covering a four-five hours distance on foot,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2023