MANSEHRA: An avalanche hit the residential camp of 830MW Suki Kanari hydropower project in Kaghan valley on Tuesday, as rain and snowfall continued to lash the upper parts of Hazara, Dir and Shangla. However, all the labourers at the power project remained safe.

A police party that rushed to the scene told mediapersons that a big snow avalanche, which rolled down from the nearby mountain, also blocked Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road to traffic at Andar Balla area. The passengers travelling in the area also remained stranded for hours.

The labourers working on the under-construction dam have demanded of their company to relocate the residential camps to a safer place.

They said that almost all the camps were situated in areas prone to landslides.

The rains and snowfall lashed the upper parts of Hazara on the third consecutive day.

Almost all roads in Upper Dir, Shangla closed due to heavy snowfall

The Karakoram Highway, which was blocked by a landslide in Pattan, the district headquarters of Lower Kohistan, was reopened to traffic.

In Upper Dir, routine life was paralised by a fresh spell of heavy snowfall in last two days both in plain and mountainous parts of the district.

Lowari Tunnel road, Kumrat road and all link roads in the district remained closed to traffic. The heavy snowfall started on Sunday and continued till Monday night without any interval.

Sources said that Lowari Tunnel and Kumrat valley received four to five feet of snow while Doog Darra, Thal, Kalkot, Belanzai, Dobando Darra, and other nearby areas also received snowfall of up to three feet.

The Lowari tunnel road was closed to traffic due to snow. Many vehicles and passengers are stuck on both sides due to closure of the tunnel road.

In Shangla district, almost all major and link roads remained blocked on Tuesday after it received the heaviest snowfall of the last six years.

The local people suffered as the area’s upper parts received 5 to 6 feet of snow after a long time and the lower parts up to one feet of snow during four-day consecutive snowfall.

A roof of government school at Kas Pagorai and a roof of a house of one NasibDar at Chakat area were damaged during snowfall.

The Karakoram Highway was cleared to traffic on Tuesday, but rest of roads in Shangla, including Bisham-Swat, Alpuri-Puran, Karora-Chakesar, Chakesar-Martung, and all link roads of the district remained closed to traffic.

Tourists spots, including Yakhtangay, Ajmir and Shangla Top, received 5 to 6 feet of snow after a long time.

However, it was a sunny day in Shangla on Tuesday and people came out from their houses to enjoy the snowfall. The residents also complained about suspension of electricity supply in Puran, Alpuri, Bely Baba, etc.

In Swabi, the Utla region and its suburbs received snowfall on Monday night and the entire area was covered with snow on Tuesday.

A resident, Mohammad Zawaid, said it was the first time that the Utla region received snowfall.

Reports from Parachinar said that biting cold gripped Kurram tribal district as weather cleared on Tuesday after three days of snowfall.

In Haripur, rain that lashed the district during last two days damaged part of Chapper Road causing disruption of traffic on Tuesday.

Former councillor Asif Ali said the small bridge constructed over the rainwater course on Chappar Road near Gali Kakotri village collapsed, creating problems for people of scores of villages on its both sides.

In Khar, a house collapsed due to heavy rain in Sadiqabad area on Tuesday. However, no loss of life was reported.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2020