Open defecation spoiling environment around Lowari tunnel
AYUN: Passengers and tourists, especially women, have expressed their anguish over unavailability of waiting areas and washrooms on both sides of the Lowari tunnel.
In the meanwhile, the passengers, especially women, suffer a lot while waiting under the open sky. Due to the absence of washrooms, women are the worst sufferers though males go out to attend call of nature.
It was observed that due to open defecation by passengers the pristine clean environment in the tunnel area was being spoiled. Besides, shopping bags and empty soft drink bottles, juice packets and other rubbish are being littered by the passengers due to unavailability of dustbins and other arrangements. The open defecation is destroying the environment giving foul smell in the vicinity.
Ms Maheeha from Punjab told ChitralToday that she and her family had come to the area after hearing claims by the provincial government that lots of work had been done in the province to facilitate tourists.
But after reaching Chitral, she felt disappointed over the poor condition of roads and lack of facilities.
She said billions of rupees had been spent on the construction of the tunnel but the planners did not bother to construct a few bathrooms for women who were forced to wait for the opening of the passageway.
We are a people who instead of removing the nail from our shoe are happy with bandaging the foot each time it bleeds. The need for rest room arises when travelers are made to wait on either side of the tunnel. We must address that issue. Why wait outside the tunnel at all? No where in the world does this happen. Even the new Malakand tunnel that started construction three years ago is complete and open 24 hours for both ways traffic. How do we justify and accept the Lowari tunnel not being complete and waiting outside even now? If our priorities are not clear to begin with, how can we solve our problems?