Sealing of chairlift paralyses life in Chakwal village
CHAKWAL: The sudden ban imposed on the installation of swings across the province by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has virtually paralysed routine life in a remote village of Chakwal which has been cut off from the rest of the district.
The chief minister imposed the ban in the province after a swing collapsed in Sahiwal during the Eid holidays injuring 34 children. But his sudden order badly affected the village in Chakwal, as its chairlift service, the only means of communication with the rest of the district, was sealed by the district administration. The Haasil village, with a population of over 7,000, is located on the Chakwal-Attock border, about 48 kilometres to the west of the Chakwal city. The Soan River flows quietly in front of the village during normal days but in the monsoon season the river remains flooded. The width of the river ranges from 1,200 to 3,500 feet. There is no bridge over the river through which the people can travel to and from the village.
District admin sealed chairlift over Soan River after an incident in Sahiwal where 34 children were injured in a swing collapse
Till 2007 the villagers used to cross the river by swimming during heavy rains or by walking during the dry period.
“We made numerous requests to the politicians requesting them for the construction of a bridge over the river but nobody paid a heed. After losing all hopes, we established the chairlift over the river on our own,” said Mohammad Arshad, a resident of the village.
The chairlift was running properly until July 10 when the chief minister banned swings across the Punjab.
“While issuing the order, the chief minister perhaps thought that swings were meant only for the recreation of children. But he did not know there is a village in Chakwal where life totally depends on a chairlift,” added Akbar Khan, an aged resident of the village.
District Coordination Officer (DCO) Mehmood Javed Bhatti sealed the chairlift and directed the villagers to renovate the pillars on which it was installed.