By Tanveer Ahmad
CHITRAL: Several villages in northern Pakistan have been cut off for nearly a month after heavy snowfall and repeated avalanches blocked the road beyond Garam Chashma in Chitral district.
Residents say the route linking Garam Chashma to Gobor and at least three neighbouring villages has remained closed for about 28 days, leaving families to carry food and essential supplies on their shoulders from the last accessible point.
Hamid Khan, a former village nazim in the area, said the situation had become increasingly difficult. “Vehicles can go only so far,” he said. “Beyond that, people have to load goods onto their backs and walk to their homes.”
According to him, between 200 and 250 households across Gobor and surrounding villages are effectively stranded.
The National Highway Authority has begun work to clear the road, but residents say progress has been slow. Khan said smaller machines were being used, adding that the equipment on site appeared more suited to excavation than snow clearance.
“If this continues at the same pace, it is unclear when the road will reopen,” he said, noting that there was no visible contractor overseeing the work in some stretches. Local people have staged protests, arguing that the machinery deployed is inadequate for clearing deep snow and avalanche debris.
With Ramazan under way, residents say shortages of food for both people and livestock are becoming acute. Supplies remain stranded along the blocked route, and transporting them to the villages has grown increasingly difficult.
Contacted for comment, Amir Zeb, a deputy director at the National Highway Authority, described the road as “extremely challenging”, citing strong winds and recurring avalanches. “When we clear one section, fresh snow often falls behind us,” he said, explaining the repeated delays.
The district of Chitral, nestled in the Hindu Kush mountains, is prone to winter isolation, but residents say this year’s prolonged closure has placed unusual strain on already remote communities.
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