RAWALPINDI: The Murree district administration has chalked out a plan to facilitate tourists visiting the resort town during the winter season and snowfall.
‘The district administration has completed preparations for the winter season and established seven tourist facilitation centres in coordination with the Provincial Disaster Management Authority and the divisional commissioner,’ said DeputyCommissioner Agha Zaheer Abbas Shirazi while talking to Dawn.
He said that a mock exercise would be started from Monday, while the Highway Department and other relevant departments had been provided with all available machinery to keep roads clear. He added that the district administration would maintain public safety, smooth traffic flow and uninterrupted essential services during snowfall and related emergencies.
The DC stated that no negligence will be tolerated regarding the safety of tourists and local residents, or the provision of essential amenities during the winter snowfall.
Meanwhile, a meeting was held, chaired by the deputy commissioner, and attended by officials from the police, traffic police, Rescue 1122, Highways Department, Municipal Corporation, the Health Department,and the PDMA.
The meeting reviewed the ‘Snow season contingency plan’ and relevant departments were directed to complete all necessary preparations in advance.
Instructions were issued to pre-position heavy snow-clearing machinery and salt spreaders at critical and sensitive locations, including The Mall, Jhika Gali, Kuldana, Sunny Bank, the bus terminal (Lari Adda), Lower Topa, Lawrence Collegebypass,PCBhurban, Bariyan and the Murree Expressway.
Furthermore, directives were given to ensure that a central control room remains operational 24/7, alongside more than seven tourist facilitation centres. The DC also issued orders to ensure availability of medicines and 100pc attendance of medical staff at THQ hospital Murree and Samli Hospital.He directed all relevant officials to remain in the field to directly oversee the arrangements. Instructions were issued regarding the digital monitoring of vehicles entering Murree, inspection of vehicles arriving without anti-skid chains. Moreover, hotel owners were directed to refrain from overcharging or price gouging.
In January 2022, as many as 22 people died in vehicles trapped in snow in Murree. After the incident, then commissioner Syed Gulzar Hussain Shah, deputy commissioner Mohammad Ali, city police officer Sajid Kiyani and other officials were transferred for their negligence.
Later, the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi bench directed officials concerned to make winter plans to deal with traffic and other issues before the start of the winter season in the hill station.