Plan Chalked Out To Facilitate Tourists During Week-long Eid Holidays

The Swat district administration has chalked out comprehensive plan to extend maximum facilities to the tourists during the week long holidays of the forthcoming Eid-ul-Azha as well as ensure cleanliness of roads, streets and bazars of entire district.

SWAT, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Aug, 2018 ) :The Swat district administration has chalked out comprehensive plan to extend maximum facilities to the tourists during the week long holidays of the forthcoming Eid-ul-Azha as well as ensure cleanliness of roads, streets and bazars of entire district.

It has been decided to cancel the weekly and Eid holidays of Assistant Commissioners, Revenue, Police, highways, TMAs, Food and Health officials.

Deputy Commissioner Swat Saqib Raza Aslam chaired high level meeting in this regard that took a number of decisions to facilitate tourists who might flock the scenic Swat valleys this Eid due to the ensuing summer season.

The meeting was attended by the regional and district high ups of all line departments including DPO, all ACs, TMOs, Civil Defense Officer, XEN highways, PDs of NHA, PkHA, CEO WSSC, Emergency Officer Rescue 1122, Reginal Information Officer and representative of Pak Army.

It was decided that WSSC, TMA, Food and Health officials would ensure cleanliness and clearance of roads, dispose of garbage heaps and waste of sacrificial animal immediately as well as regularly check the quality and prices of food stuff at shops and hotels.

The district police head was tasked to take immediate steps for security, safety, comfortable stay and related facilitation of the tourists with active involvement of regular police, traffic wardens and tourist police, special branch and DSB wherein Civil Defense, Swat levy, rescue 1122 and TMAs of all seven Tehsils will equally contribute to make all the arrangements a success story in all respects.

Civil Defense has already provided 300 Razakars and Swat levy 250 Jawans to the district police for deployment in Eid days who were being properly trained for the purpose to facilitate the vehicular traffic and tourists on the highways right from Marghazar to Kalam and elsewhere in Swat district.

It was also decided that all roads either minor or major and highways would be cleared from every kind of hurdles for smooth passage of traffic and no parking or tax collection would be allowed on roadsides. Parking lots to be set up on vast open places would be essentially staffed for the quick disposal and dealing of commuters while car lifter vehicles and cranes would be available stand by at suitable distances to cope with any eventuality.

Similarly Rescue 1122 and all health centers on roadsides would have special arrangements for the health cover whereas rescue teams including divers, doctors, and paramedical staff with sophisticated first aid equipment would be deployed on main points.

Razakars on important river banks would properly guide the tourists to avoid any mishap while taking selfies or doing other activities.

It was decided that light traffic mostly consisting of tourists would be diverted to newly constructed Shamozai road right from Chakdara and Thana to Kabal, Kanju, Matta and Behrain (Leftside of the Swat river) whereas the heavy traffic including road-liners, trucks, containers and coasters would be shifted to the main GT Road viz Landaki to Barikot road alongside the right bank of Swat River.

Deputy Commissioner asked the National Highway Authority (NHA) and Pakhtunkhwa Highway Authority (PkHA) to temporarily halt construction work on GT road from Landaki to Qamber bypass with necessary repairs, filling of culverts and regular water sprinkling for smooth passage of vehicular traffic.

He asked the TMAs to install guiding boards and pana-flexes on various junctions and turns of highways and bridges for the facilitation of tourists as well as depute special squads for garbage disposal and cleanliness at important points during Eid days.

He said it would be failure of all of the departments and officials if there would surface any hurdles or inefficiency in respect of safety, hygiene, traffic control or other facilitation meant for the tourists.

He also directed the TMAs to depute technical teams for inspection of the children play lands in the parks. Likewise no handcarts would be allowed on roadsides during Eid days because it might hamper traffic passage and tantamount to vehicular jams at important points. He however orderedarrests of those officials and individuals who refused to cooperate with thedistrict administration in this regard.