MANSEHRA: The Mansehra district administration has warned the owners of strict action if they operate faulty cable cars during the Eidul Azha holidays.

“You have to install fault-free cable cars and strong pillars at both the starting and ending points, else strict action will be taken against you, including your set-ups being permanently sealed,” Baffa-Pakhal Assistant Commissioner Ilyas Ahmad told the operators and owners while inspecting cable cars in parts of Siran Valley.

He led a team of officials to the valley in the wake of some deadly cable car accidents in the past to check their physical condition.

Officials found most of the facilities to be in good condition, with strong ropes and cables, but none of the operators or owners could produce a fitness licence or certificate.

Mr Ahmad asked cable car owners and operators to remain cautious while transporting passengers across the rivers and streams.

“Most of the cable cars provide transport services to passengers between villages and pass over streams and ditches, so you should ensure that your facilities remain safe and that their cables and structure are free of faults,” he said.

TREE PLANTATION: The district administration, in collaboration with the forest department, plans to launch a tree plantation drive in Kaghan Valley involving tourists during the Eidul Azha holidays.

“We expect an influx of tourists during Eidul Azha in picturesque Kaghan, and other valleys and meadows across Hazara division, and to contain wildfires in local forests, extra precautionary measures will be put in place,” Fayyaz Ali Shah, the Hazara commissioner, told a meeting attended by officials of the forest department and district administrations from across the division.

“We will set up a plant nursery in Naran, the commercial hub of Kaghan Valley, and provide saplings to tourists, facilitating them to plant trees in greenbelts and along roadsides during their stay,” the commissioner said, according to a press release issued here on Sunday.

He also directed the deputy commissioners of Mansehra, Torghar, Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan, Battagram, Abbottabad and Haripur to launch such initiatives, besides asking tourists not to dump waste as it could cause fires in forests.

“We have to ensure the safety of tourists by keeping them away from streams and riversides, as during the monsoon season, the rivers and streams could overflow,” Mr Shah said.

“Hazara is rich in dense forests and natural treasures, and we have been adopting all possible measures for their preservation,” Mr Shah said.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2026