RAWALPINDI: Punjab Board of Revenue Senior Member Nabil Javed on Friday said winter contingency plan for Murree would prioritise convenient mobility of the local residents.

He along with Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha was presiding over a meeting regarding the implementation of the High Court’s instructions in Murree Contingency Plan.

Deputy Commissioner Murree Agha Zaheer Abbas Shirazi, Rawalpindi Development Authority Director General Saif Anwar Jappa, Parks and Horticulture Authority Director General Ahmed Hasan Ranjha, DG Anti-Corruption and heads of other departments concerned participated in the meeting held in Commissioner Office.

While reviewing the arrangements, Nabil Javed said that all the departments should ensure full compliance with the high court’s decision so that there is no room left for Januaray 2022-like tragedy in which 22 people died in vehicles trapped in snow.

He said the obstacles in the completion of the master plan of Murree should be removed as soon as possible and it should be finalized.

Nabil Javed directed that there should be no delay in the preparations made at the local level. The additional work force demanded by the Murree administration from Civil Defense, police, forest and other departments should be provided immediately.

He issued further instructions and said that the ongoing work on four bypasses of Murree towards Galiat including Dadhyal, Bustan Mor, Bansra Gali to Kali Mitti should be expedited and completed as soon as possible to avoid traffic congestion.

He stressed that while finalising the arrangements, special emphasis should be given on the convenience and ease of transportation of the locals.On this occasion, while giving an update regarding the implementation of the contingency plan, Commissioner Rawalpindi said all departments concerned had been alerted in the wake of snowfall forecast in the coming days.

He said that illegal buildings had been demolished in Murree through mega anti-encroachment operation. Apart from this, he said that new building by-laws have also been approved.

“A two-month ban on construction has also been imposed by the commissioner’s office,” he said.

He said that the building department has identified a 10 kanal site of the Murree Improvement Trust for parking plaza, and a detailed plan for the construction of the plaza has been sent for inclusion in the annual development project. Murree and Kotli Sattyian have been declared a Reserve Forest.

Apart from this, he said that the National Park has been made a tourist attraction point and a strategic tree plantation campaign is also being launched by the Forest Department, Murree.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2023