Babusar Top Road Closed as Snow Cuts KP Link
Traffic between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan through Babusar Top has been suspended after heavy snowfall closed the mountain road, cutting one of the main seasonal links between the two regions.
Mansehra police closed the route on Wednesday, 11 November, after Kaghan Valley received its second-heaviest snowfall of the season. The road over Babusar Top, the highest point of the Kaghan Valley at 4,173 metres, carries traffic between the two federating units along the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road.
Police restrict traffic beyond Bassal
District Police Officer Mohammad Waqas Khan said traffic had been restricted beyond Bassal, towards the upper parts of Kaghan Valley and the neighbouring Diamer district, because the road had become slippery and dangerous.
“We have restricted traffic beyond Bassal towards the upper parts of Kaghan Valley and neighbouring Diamer district, as fresh snowfall has made the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad (MNJ) Road slippery and dangerous,” the district police officer told reporters.
Snowfall began on the night of Tuesday, 10 November, in high-altitude areas including Saiful Muluk Lake, Lulusar Lake, Battakundi, Bassal and Babusar Top, and continued intermittently through Wednesday, bringing a cold spell to the region.
Road could stay shut until next summer
Police warned that the closure could last for months if the snow keeps falling. The district police officer said that if the prolonged spell of snowfall continued, it might block the MNJ Road until next summer, during which time traffic between the two federating units would remain suspended.
“We have yet to close our police posts in the upper parts of Kaghan valley. If the prolonged spell of snowfall continues, it might block the MNJ Road permanently until next summer. During this period, traffic between the two federating units will remain suspended,” he said.
For now, traffic up to Naran, the commercial hub of the Kaghan Valley, is still open, and tourists are continuing to visit the area to enjoy the snowfall, though in small numbers.
Upper valley businesses close for winter
Hotels and businesses in the upper parts of the valley have already closed until next summer, Hussain Deen, chairman of the Hoteliers Association, said, while Naran continues to welcome visitors despite the snowfall.
Families living in the upper valley have also begun their annual move downhill for the winter. Communities settled in Battakundi, Barawai, Bassal and other upper parts of the valley have started migrating to the lower parts of Mansehra and other areas of Hazara Division.
A resident of Battakundi said almost half of the families had already moved and the rest would follow within 10 to 15 days, adding that the whole area from Naran upwards would probably remain closed until next summer. With the migration complete, the entire upper valley is expected to stay closed until May next year, along with traffic between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.
More snow forecast until 14 November
The Pakistan Meteorological Department said a shallow westerly wave approached the western and northern parts of the country on the evening of 10 November, was likely to strengthen on 12 November and could persist in the upper parts until the morning of 14 November. Under that system, the department forecast rain and thunderstorms with snow over the mountains in Gilgit-Baltistan and upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and advised the authorities concerned to remain vigilant.
Travellers heading for Babusar Top, Chilas or Gilgit-Baltistan should not continue past the restricted point at Bassal, and should check the latest police advice before setting out. Naran remains open at present, but conditions in the upper valley can change without warning while the snowfall continues.
