Sulman Badshah
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PHOTO: Saalar Ahmad
‘This must be what heavens look like’ is a thought that occurs just too often when one is in Kalam – a tehsil in Swat district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Situated at a distance of merely 100 kilometres from Mingora, the valley is truly the outback of our civilisation. The road leading to it is as allusive as the scenery around it and is also a test of one’s mettle on the wheel.
PHOTO: Saalar Ahmad
It is nerve-wracking if you choose a summer weekend for an escapade. Whatever the provincial government may claim about its police efficiency, the traffic management is almost non-existent even in smaller towns such as Bahrain that fall along the way to Kalam.
PHOTO: Saalar Ahmad
The construction of highways and their safety and maintenance is in the federation’s domain. But the region has not been on Islamabad’s priority list ever since Taliban took over it. Now cleared of miscreants, focus in the region has been on eliminating terrorism and the provision of civic services and citizen’s well-being remain largely ignored. The same apathy is evident in the state of wooden pedestrian bridges that hang over raging rivers and streams.
PHOTO: Saalar Ahmad
The dilapidated footbridges, dangling over the growling Swat River, send chills down the spine of even the most nature-loving patriot.
PHOTO: Saalar Ahmad
Mahodand Lake, one of the largest and most scenic lakes in the Swat valley, is located at a distance of about 40 km from Kalam, in the Usho Sub-valley in the foothills of Hindu Kush mountains. It is accessible with four-wheel drive vehicles and is a good resort for fishing, boating and camping. Surrounded by snow-clad mountains, lush green meadows and thick forests, the lake leaves visitors hypnotized with its beauty. Though not easily accessible, Kundol Lake in the Utror region rivals Mahodand Lake in beauty as well as in abundance of brown trout fish.
PHOTO: Saalar Ahmad
Due to lack of interest from the government in protecting the environment and promoting eco-tourism, the lakes are becoming dumping ground for non-biodegradable plastics in addition to suffering from deforestation, vehicular noise and hydro-carbon pollutants.
PHOTO: Saalar Ahmad
Soil-covered glaciers are a common sight. Though the locals are conscious about the challenges associated with seasonal glacial melting and caving in, the smartphone-equipped tourists care little. And unfortunately, there are no warning boards installed to inform the visitors just like there are no signs for hazardous roads and terrains in the area.
PHOTO: Saalar Ahmad