LAHORE: Maximum snowfall in Murree was not more than 31 inches (less than three feet) during the last week which was quite manageable subject to a continuous traffic flow, said sources from Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).

According to the sources, the local administration had failed to follow the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) during the snowfall that led to a traffic mess and 22 deaths.

When contacted, Director Pakistan Meteorological Department (PDM) Shahid Abbas confirmed the magnitude of snowfall, adding that the snowfall in and around Murree varied two to four inches to the maximum. He further pointed out that the hill station of Murree had witnessed a record 82 inches (about seven feet) snowfall in January of 2005. He said the upcoming weak spell of westerly waves would hit the hilly areas around January 20 followed by another on 31st January but no heavy rain is expected.

Regarding factors behind the snowfall, he said, a drop in temperature leads to freezing of rain drops. According to him, the temperature in Murree had dropped below zero and any further drop could lead to hailstorm, which was not the case during the last week.

The PDMA sources further pointed out that some 25 percent of vehicles were from Islamabad and adjacent areas of Murree and the commuters had a plan to return by the evening. However, they were stuck up in traffic jam for more than 18 hours. A large number of tourists were commuting in small cars which could not sustain the situation.

They said the possibility of no casualty was low in case there was a constant traffic flow with a timely intervention of the local administration. The local administration had also failed to timely remove broken trees and electricity polls, they said and added that machinery operators were absent from their positions despite a timely warning by the PDM. Also, they said, the supervisors of the field staff were not in contact with the local administration. This situation led to undue delay in relief operation, they said.

It may be noted that Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has formed a seven-member committee for inquiry into the tragic incident of Murree that claimed 22 lives last week. He has also decided to extend the status of district to Murree and the Punjab Board of Revenue (BOR) has started necessary arrangements to meet the objective.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022