KP to spend Rs375m for 10 new tourist spots

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakthunkhwa government was developing new tourist spots to promote domestic, mountaineering and adventure sports by approving Rs375 million for the development of 10 new tourists spots in scenic Hazara and Malakand divisions.

KP Tourism Department spokesperson Latifur Rehman told APP on Monday that Rs375 million have been approved by Provincial Working Development Party (PDWP) for development of 10 new tourism spots in Abbottabad, Swat, Haripur and Upper Dir districts.

The decision has been taken to reduce tourists’ load on existing destinations including Kalam, Malam Jabba, Madian and Bahrain in Swat, Nathia Gali, Donga Gali, Bagnotar, Thandyani, Harnoi, Khanspoor, Ayubia in Abbottabad, Khanpor in Haripur district besides Komrat valley in Upper Dir districts.

These 10 tourism spots include six waterfalls, four new tourism sites and tracks along with waterfalls in scenic Sajjikot Havelian, Umrella Abbottabad, Jarogo Swat, Noori and Chajian Haripur and Lamchar Upper Dir districts.

He said over 50 kilometres’ tracks for tourists would be developed in Manshera and Abbottabad districts where great scope for mountaineering, adventure and hiking sports exist.

The spokesman said Rs30 million each would be spent on Sajjikot waterfall at Havalian, Umbrella waterfall in Abbottabad and Lamchar waterfall in Dir Upper, Rs 40 million for Jarogo waterfall including site and track in Swat, Rs20 million each for Noori waterfall and nine kilometers long Sattu Bangla track at Thandyani Abbottabad and Rs25 million for Chajian waterfall in Haripur district.

Likewise, Rs80 million would be spent on Dagri Dak Bangla track including rest house reconstruction, pods, tents with lavatories in Abbottabad, Rs60 million for Shinkiari to Kund Bangla Deepable track and 40 kilometers walking track of Nadi Bangla and Shaheed Pani Bunglow in Manshera district besides Rs40 million for Saiful Malook lake to Ansu lake to Biari track in Manshera district.

Three major tourism snow events were planned including ice sports festivals in Swat and Chital districts, second Hindukush Snow and Ice Sports festival at Madaklasht in Chitral in February 2021, second International Snow Boarding Competition at Malam Jabba in Swat to be followed by Malam Jabba Skiing Festival and Snow Marathon at Kaghan in Manshera in March next year.

Derajat Festival, Sheikh Badin Resort at Dera Ismail Khan, Takht-e-Sulman resort and making Dera Ismail Khan as horse capital of Pakistan projects were also planned besides a project of Rs250 million was approved for construction of 50 new camping pods in different districts especially in Malakand and Hazara divisions to promote tourism in KP.

Likewise, 40 additional pods for bathrooms, kitchen and allied facilities approved besides procurement of imported pods through United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

He said about 93 camping pods were already established in different districts including 11 each at Beshigram in Swat and Thandyani in Abbottabad district besides 10 each pods at Gabeen Jabba Swat, Malaika Buner, Shaheeda Sir in Buner, Allai Batagram, Bumburat in Chitral and Sharan in Manshera district and five pods at Yakh Tangi in Shangla and six in Sheikh Badin in DI Khan.

The spokesman admitted that hotels rooms are insufficient for tourists in the country, therefore efforts was on for the construction of five hundred rooms in three tourists’ districts to provide quality and inexpensive accommodation facilities to tourists.

Waste collection and management activities is being carried out in tourists’ destinations where recycling of waste of glasses, plastics and papers are being done while waste bins and awareness billboards would be installed to make tourists’ areas neat and clean.

The KP government has planned to install 14 kilometers long Kumrat Cable Car from Upper Dir to Lower Chitral that would include one intermediate station, 500 cars parking plaza and skiing slops to promote adventure sports.

The government is working on a comprehensive plan to improve roads infrastructure leading to tourists’ resorts, which include 24 kilometers Thandiyani road expansion, 23 kilometers Minkayal to Bada Sehri, 45 kilometers long Shishikoh-Madaklasht road, 35 kilometers long Supat valley road, 67kilometers Kalam-Kumrat road, 50 kilometers Patrak-Kumrat road and 18 kilometers Thall-Jazzbanda road.

The roads infrastructure development would cost Rs14,464 million that would be generated with the help of World Bank and other donor agencies.

He said merged areas have a lot of scope for tourism and several projects planned to tap its rich tourism potential.

Parachinar in Kurram, Shawal Valley and Ghulam Khan Valley in North Waziristan, Angor Adda in South Waziristan, Tirah valley in Khyber tribal districts were most suitable for adventure sports.

These projects upon completion would make KP a hub of tourism and substantial revenue would be generated for the socioeconomic well being of people.