As mercury soars, tourists throng Pir ki Gali in Poonch

DK Sudan

Poonch, May 26

With the rise in temperature, tourists have started to throng Pir ki Gali, a tourist destination on the Poonch-Srinagar highway in the district. Covered with a sheet of snow, the site has been attracting thousands of tourists every day.

With the declaration of summer vacations from May 21 to 28, children with their parents have been rushing to the Pir ki Gali to get relief from the scorching heat.

Located at a distance of 85 km from Poonch town and 44 km from Shopian district in the Kashmir valley, the site has emerged as the busiest tourist spot where snow can be seen even in the months of May and June, but lacks basic amenities.

“We usually heard that the Poonch district has a great potential for tourism and there is a need to develop some of them. Pir ki Gali is no less than Gulmarg or Sonamarg, the famous tourist spots of the Kashmir valley,” Said Mohd Talab, a resident of Mumbai.

“The place is so beautiful that it deserves to be listed in the most beautiful places in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

With the declaration of summer vacations, students have started compelling their parents to spend their days at Pir ki Gali.

“We had no plan to visit Pir ki Gali, but my children forced us to visit any hill station to get relief from the scorching heat. So, we decided to visit the site and feel that we have taken the right decision, as we have to wear sweaters in the evening,” said Simranjeet Singh of Jammu.

“I am also disappointed to see that no one from the government is here to facilitate the tourists,” he said, and added that there was nothing in the name of facilities here.

Peer ki Gali is not only the attraction for tourists on the 85 km stretch, but the entire road from Poonch to Pir ki Gali is dotted with various tourist spots, including , Dhundak, Noori Chhamm, Chandimarh, Panar, Ratta Chhamm, Chatta Pani, Dubijan, Heerpura, Aliaaabad Sarai and Doongi Marg.

As the area has been declared rich in wildlife habitation, the government and other private tourism agencies have been prevented from developing infrastructure here.

However, the Department of Forest and Wildlife is planning to create eco-tourism infrastructure along the route. As the site has not been fully developed, tourists and even locals have to rush to Poonch and Shopian in the evening for accommodation.