Many areas of the country including Murree received snowfall on Thursday bringing more chill to the already cold weather, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Tourists in the Murree hill station reacted with glee as they were pleased to witness the snowfall with the local administration was all geared up to facilitate the visitors and avoid any untoward incident.
As party of many precautions, the authorities have limited the car numbers to be allowed to enter the hill station. According to reports, Punjab Relief Commissioner Naveed Ahmed Shirazi said that only 8,000 vehicles would be permitted in Murree, while the whole area would be monitored through CCTV cameras.
Shirazi also directed the relevant authorities to remove all hurdles from the roads and hold a grand mock exercise to tackle the snow. “As many 13 relief centres have been established, while extra personnel of 1122 Rescue and policemen have been posted to tackle any emergency,” he said.
Furthermore, he banned the transfer of all officials from Murree during the snow season, while urging the citizens to call 1129 in case of an emergency.
In another major step to tackle the potential emergency, the local police have banned the entry of all vehicles on Mall Road in Murree. “Over 270 policemen have been allocated at different points of the hill station to tackle any kind of problem due to snowfall,” the police said.
Moreover, five lifters and one crane have been deployed in the city to clean snow from the roads and clear no-parking zones. “Five roads have been declared one-way, while a traffic control has been set at Sunny Bank Chowk,” the police said. The police have decided to only allow mechanically-fit vehicles inside the city, while a special schedule has been announced for the entry of heavy vehicles in the region.
Last year, 23 people had frozen to death after being stuck in a snowstorm. The major reason for the tragedy was the negligence of local authorities as they allowed over 13,000 vehicles into Murree, which had a capacity of 4,000.
The Tirah Valley in Khyber district received heavy snowfall all day on Thursday. There was 10-inch snow on the roads.
Reporters Haider Ali and Jahanzeb Afridi