KALAM, Pakistan: Coldness has gripped upper areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Swat, Upper Dir and Chitral where temperature has considerably decreased due to recent torrential rain and snowfall on mountains, forcing people to wear additional warm cloths to beat coldness.
Temperature in scenic Kalam valley in Swat district has significantly decreased owing to recent rainfall and downpour where -04 degree centigrade temperature was recorded by the Met Department on Tuesday morning.
The coldness has compelled people of Kalam and adjoining areas besides tourists to visit local markets and bazaars for woolen sweaters, blankets and other winter materials to keep themselves warm.
The shopkeepers increased prices of warm cloths, sweaters and were charging customers almost doubled compare to normal days.
A woolen sweater that was sold at Rs1500 in normal days was now being tagged at Rs2000 to Rs2500 these days by the traders, forcing tourists and residents to buy these goods on demanded prices.
The prices of Swati and Chitrali caps were also increased being solved on high prices by the shopkeepers due to coldness that has gripped Kalam and Malam Jabba for the last couple of days.
“I came from Nowshera for the purpose of enjoying snowfall in Kalam,” Misal Khan, a tourist told the state-run news agency.
“Watching of snowfall was my great wish fulfilled during recent snowfall in Kalam,” he said.
He suggested that huge revenue could be generated by promoting winter tourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Scenic Kalam and Malam Jabba valleys offer a lot for tourists during winter season and this potential could be fully tapped by reducing hotels’ fare, improving roads conditions and ensure check on prices of daily commodities.
Alam said traders and hotels owners were charging tourists heavily that also needed to be checked.
