BOONI: As people of different sub-valleys in Upper Chitral started arriving in Booni, an acute shortage of transport vehicles has been reported on the Chitral-Booni route.
Many families coming from different parts of the country for the Ismaili congregation in Booni on Dec 9 are reported to have faced immense hardship after reaching Chitral as there were no public transport available in the town.
It is learnt that most of the public wagons, jeeps and other vehicles have moved to upper Chitral to bring the people from different villages to Booni. Though in Yarkhun, Laspur and other sub-valleys, the local community leaders have asked the taxi drivers to follow the fares agreed upon by the locals and the drivers, transporters in lower Chitral were fleecing the travelers as the latter had to reach their destinations before Dec 9.
Public circles here complained that the police and the local administration had failed to facilitate the people and take action against transporters for charging extra fares.
Dust envelops most areas
Due to the prolonged dry spell, dust has enveloped most of the areas in upper Chitral in the wake of the increased traffic as people started moving to Booni.
The Chitral Scouts had started sprinkling water on the Booni-Mastuj road up to Parwak but a TMA fire brigade vehicle sent for the purpose was seen parked at Krui Deri.
Abdul Nasir Khan of Bang told ChitralToday on phone that two days ago Additional Deputy Commissioner Chitral Minhas Uddin had visited a reception camp in Bang and promised to arrange a bouser to sprinkle water on the road to settle down the dust. However, so far no vehicle had been sent to the area.
He said Ismaili volunteers were spraying water on the road but it was not enough as there was an urgent need of a bowser for the purpose. He said there would be a big rush of people moving to Booni till the night of Dec 8. The pilgrims will start returning in the afternoon of Dec 9.