Tourism police rescue thousands stranded by landslides in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

PESHAWAR: Thousands of tourists stranded by landslides at popular destinations in Hazara and Malakand divisions are being assisted by tourism police, who are providing guidance, emergency services and safely extracting vehicles to allow travelers to continue to their destinations, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government said.

Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Tourism and Information Minister Shafi Jan, along with Provincial Irrigation Minister Riaz Khan, briefed reporters at a news conference in Peshawar, outlining ongoing efforts across multiple sectors.

The Irrigation Department has completed 26 dams since 2013, with work ongoing on 16 others that are expected to be finished soon, Khan said. The department has utilized 100% of allocated funds and currently irrigates 2.4 million acres of land across the province, he added.

Khan acknowledged that climate change is affecting the entire country and said the provincial government is taking steps in the current budget to address both water scarcity and flood discharge issues provincewide.

The main road connecting the tourist destination of Lamchar to the rest of the district has been washed away for yet another year by seasonal floods at the Ashiri Pass near Simkot Bela, local officials and residents said.

The roadway, which serves thousands of residents and visitors annually, has been repeatedly destroyed by even minor floodwaters, leaving the area cut off.

Residents have expressed concerns over the use of substandard construction materials in repair work, saying that despite the expenditure of millions of rupees each year, the problem remains unresolved.

Locals are demanding a permanent solution to prevent recurring damage to the vital transportation link.