Road accidents in the dangerous Karakoram highway

Road accidents in KKH

By: Shakil Ahmad Jan

The Karakoram Highway (KKH) is often called the 'Eighth Wonder of the World' due to its spectacular beauty, high elevation, and the challenging conditions in which it was constructed. It was started in 1962 and was completed in 1978 after going through 18 years of hardships and tribulations. It was built with the help of Chinese and Pakistani engineers. Around 810 Pakistanis and about 200 Chinese workers lost their lives mostly in landslides and fall while building the highway. It runs approximately 1,300 km (810 miles) from Kashgar, a city in the Xinjiang region of China, to Abbottabad, Pakistan. It plays a significant role in uplifting the economy of Pakistan in General and HUNZA valley in particular. In recent years the highway has sought to become a 'niche' adventure tourism destination owing to the improved security situation in the country, the number of foreign tourists coming to Pakistan has increased manifold.

Among the tourist destinations in the country, KKH is deemed as the "third best" by The Guardian. The road has given visitors, mountaineers, and cyclists easier access to the many high mountains, glaciers, and lakes in the area

All things considered; this road is also infamous for tragic road accidents. For the last couple of years so many visitors’ vans, public vehicles, and bikers met with severe road accidents and lost their invaluable lives.

If you will happen to travel through this route, you will come across a dangerous curve (moode) near Rahimabad, which is also known as QATIL MOODE, so far around ten vehicles have fallen from there into the ravine resulting in innumerable casualties.

One month before, three students while coming from HUNZA on bikes met with a terrible accident and lost their lives, Today again a visitor vehicle from Karachi, plunged into a ravine while taking a sharp turn, and as a result, four people died on the spot and multiple got serious injuries.

Nevertheless, about 90 percent of accidents are primarily due to human error. Alcohol, fatigue, inexperience, excessive risk-taking, and lack of driving skills are the factors. At the same time, the government should also take immediate steps to mitigate tragic road accidents. They should build two to three-speed breakers; signboards must be placed on both sides. (e.g., signs for speed limits and stop, warning signs, sharp curves, and slippery surfaces), similarly, The provision of special turn arrows contributes to safety and reduces collisions. There would be some other effective ways also, by utilizing them we can save innocent peoples’ lives. 

 

winter and Gas cylinder in GB

winter and Gas cylinders 

Nowadays in northern parts of Pakistan, winter is at its peak. To cope with the spine-chilling cold weather, most people use gas heaters (LPG) inside their houses and offices. But these heaters and cylinders have become serious threats to the indigenous people. It can be witnessed from the recent mishaps happening throughout the region due to the gas cylinder explosions, where multiple people lost their precious lives and wealth in no time. Similarly, some cases were reported from different hotels as well where people died due to the emission of carbon monoxide from these gas appliances.

Now the question is how to minimize and lessen the detrimental effects of these sources. The first possible solution could be the selection of good quality cylinders. It is widely circulating on social media that substandard gas cylinders are being sold in the market which cannot handle the intensive pressure of the gas inside and as a result blown away. Therefore, while buying gas cylinders we should consider high-quality cylinders and install them outside their homes so that the destruction can be reduced.

The second reason behind this is the negligence of the common mass. While sleeping they keep them turn on. As a result, it emits carbon monoxide by using the oxygen inside which makes breathing difficult and becomes the cause of people's death. Therefore, we need to be extra cautious while using these appliances. whenever we go to our beds, they need to be turned off so that we will keep ourselves safe from the silent killers.

open dumping of solid waste in Naltar Express way

Open dumping of Municipal solid waste near Gilgit city. 

 

Gilgit Baltistan is a region that is widely famous for its immaculate beauty, enchanted landscape, mighty snow-capped mountains, and unsullied crystal-clear glacial water. This is the reason, it attracts hundreds and thousands of tourists each year, and the number increases exponentially on yearly basis, which is a good sign for the local businessmen and women of the indigenous mountainous community.                                                                                                                                                                        To maintain this soaring turnout of tourists, we must work on some of the important areas like reservation of local heritage, affordable travelers’ accommodation, Safe and secured transport facilities, the safety of the tourists, chivalrous tourist guides and translators, and above all the cleanliness of the areas where they visit and stay.

When it comes to the neatness of the area, the role of solid waste management (SWM) is second to none. It plays a vital role in maintaining the environment safe and tidy for the people. But I am at a loss for words to describe one of the garbage dumping sites, near Chilmishdass (a 5 km driving distance from Gilgit city). Where all the wastes (domestic, commercial, and Medical) generated by Gilgit city are being dumped
gives a really bad impression of the area because it serves as the opening gateway to the beautiful Naltar valley.

Consequently, It has caused certain implications for the people traveling through this route as, after the construction of the Naltar expressway, tourists use this route to travel back and forth to the aforementioned tourist destination.

First, it is nearby Aga Khan Gilgit Medical Centre (a well-known healthcare system in GB) new campus of KIU, and the newly built polytechnic college. Population living and residing in the vicinity of the landfill areas are exposed to innumerable environmental health risks. The malpractice of open burning results in many harmful public health and environmental effects and the frequent smoke breakout at the dumping site may generate various health problems for the population living nearby the landfill area. This is due to the emission of numerous toxic gases and air pollutants mostly methane, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide.

In addition, solid waste dumping areas provide safe havens for the incubation and proliferation of flies, mosquitoes, and rodents. They also attract a whopping number of stray dogs, which are the main causes of fatal road accidents and contagious diseases to the population coming into the proximity of the dumping site.

Apart from that, due to the windy weather, all the wrappers and plastics are taken away to nearby places and the whole area seems a mess. You can see shoppers, wrappers, solid waste, and other materials spread everywhere.

All things considered, Improper and inefficient handling of waste disposal not only hurts the environment and human health rather it spoils the exquisiteness of the area as well. Therefore, the city administration should look into the matter in the larger interest of protecting public health and the environment and select a place that is far away from the population.

 

Thank you