Heavy snowfall blocks roads, routine life affected

CHITRAL: Heavy snowfall badly affected routine life across Chitral with blockades of roads to all sub-valleys on Tuesday morning.

The main Chitral-Mastuj road was blocked while Chitral police tried to help stranded passengers on Chitral-Dir road in Lowari area.

A resident of Dizg in Yarkhun valley told ChitralToday that overnight snowfall had cut off the area from rest of Chitral and there was a severe cold wave.

About half a foot of snow was observed in many places in Lower Chitral, including the main town area.

Besides rising demand for firewood, there is a shortage of essential food items in many villages in remote areas.

Passengers criticised the NHA for its failure to arrange machinery to remove snow and keep the Chitral-Dir road open.

They said police were neither mandated nor equipped to clear blocked roads as it was the NHA to help the passengers.

They called upon the government to issue directions to the departments concerned to facilitate the passengers.