Khalid Hussain
When it comes to tourism, Chitral has always been a favourite tourist spot for many; within or outside the country. The lush green valleys surrounded by mountains and gigantic River Chitral flowing in between offers an absolutely breathtaking view. But whenever these beatitudes coincide with with festivals – religious or otherwise – the number of nature lovers increases dramatically.
In the same way, Chitral always faces the flux of tourists on Eid days. But this year nature offered a tough time for its lovers: the delta variant of Covid-19. Needless to say, this is the same variant which has has been disastrous in India, recently. It is said that almost 50 percent deaths in India were caused by this deadly virus.
In Pakistan, NCOC has already issued warning and precautionary measures in this regard. The abrupt rise in positivity rate is attributed to this new danger. Certain restrictions are being observed in different tourist destinations that also include ‘Vaccination certificate’.
If the NCOC left no stone unturned, it should also pinch the administration of district Chitral. Chitral with its one-way entrance ( Lowari tunnel) is more convenient in terms of policy implementation. On the other hand, the law abiding and health conscious nature of Chitralis adds more to the bucket. The recent count of highest vaccination rate in Chitral throughout KP is a clear proof of it. However, one must not forget that our district with its already atrophied health infrastructure has little to offer in case of emergency.
Therefore, the best option the administration has is to keep the monster at bay through meaningful administrative steps. Let’s hope for the best.