Syed Ali Shah, Manan Mandokhail, Sardar Muhammad Khondai:
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QUETTA, CHAMAN: Quetta, Ziarat, Kan Mehtarzai, Toba Achakzai, Toba Kakarai, Kozhak top and other parts of Balochistan received heavy snowfall on Wednesday. The weather turned cold and tourists thronged towards the beautiful Ziarat valley and Hanna Lake to enjoy the cold pleasant weather. “Beautiful, beautiful, after a long time, heavy snowfall”, Shah Jehan alias Shah jee told Daily Quetta Voice.
Mountains in Quetta turned white and the ancient juniper trees wore white carpets after heavy snowfall. However, people suffered because of low and no gas pressure in the chilly weather. Heavy snowfall at the Kan Mehtarzai and Kozhak tops severely affected the flow of traffic. Passengers faced difficulties to reach their destinations after the snowfall.
“We have put all staff on high alert after snowfall”, Naseer Ahmed Nasar, the Director-General Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said. He said heavy machinery was also deployed at all sensitive points/mountaintops to make sure an uninterrupted flow of traffic.
Tourists from across Balochistan and other parts of the country thronged towards Ziarat and Hanna Lake to enjoy the weather and the snowfall. Women and children also visited tourist points to enjoy the weather. “This was our dream to witness such snow”, Fehmida, a woman from Karachi told Daily Quetta Voice. Like Fehmida scores of families from Karachi and other parts of the country visited Hanna Lake and moved toward Ziarat to enjoy the first snowfall of the winter season.
The PDMA also provided food and other necessary support to the stranded passengers at Kozhak pass and Kan Mehtarzai. Environmentalists term snowfall as a very positive thing for the overall climate. “This is like fresh oxygen for the planet”, Faiz Kakar, a well-known environmentalist said. He said this snow will be having a far-reaching positive impact on improving the depleting water table in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan.
