MANSEHRA: The district administration, in collaboration with the forest department, is set to launch a tree plantation drive in Kaghan valley, involving tourists visiting for recreational purposes during Eidul Azha holidays.
“We expect a massive influx of tourists on Eidul Azha in picturesque Kaghan, and other valleys and meadows across Hazara division, and to contain wildfires in local forests, extra precautionary measures will be put in place,” Fayyaz Ali Shah, the commissioner of Hazara Division, told a meeting attended by officials of the forest department and district administrations from across division.
A press release issued here on Sunday said that the meeting discussed in detail how to provide great hospitality services to visitors in Mansehra and other tourist destinations across the Hazara division.
“We will set up a plant nursery in Naran, the commercial hub of Kaghan valley, and provide saplings to tourists, facilitating them to plant trees in green belts and along roadsides during their stay here on Eid,” the commissioner said.
He also directed the deputy commissioners of Mansehra, Torghar, Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan, Battagram, Abbottabad and Haripur to launch such initiatives as could sensitise tourists against dumping waste that could cause fires in forests during their visits.
Meanwhile, the district administration in Mansehra has directed owners and operators of chairlifts to ensure trouble-free travel for passengers during the busy Eidul Azha holidays, warning that strict legal action would be taken against violators.
“You have to install fault-free chairlifts with fresh iron strings and strong pillars at both the starting and ending points, else strict action will be taken against you, including permanently sealing your system,” Assistant Commissioner, Baffa-Pakhal, Ilyas Ahmad told operators and owners while inspecting chairlifts in parts of Siren Valley.
A team led by the AC visited Siran valley in light of some serious and fatal chairlift accidents in the recent past to check the physical condition and cables of the chairlifts.
