PoGB: Thorsay Bilamik Valley faces infrastructure neglect, which hurts tourism and well-being

The Thorsay Bilamik Valley in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) is grappling with severe infrastructural underdevelopment due to administrative neglect, impeding the area’s potential as a tourist destination, Skardu TV reported.

Residents are grappling with numerous issues, including a lack of mobile network coverage, poor road conditions, insufficient health infrastructure, and the absence of educational institutions.

Ehsaan Ali Shah, a local resident, expressed frustration, stating, “Our problems are endless. The roads are in disrepair, we lack mobile network services, and there are no facilities for education or healthcare. Despite raising these concerns, the administration remains silent and unresponsive. Ministers had promised to build guest houses in the valley, but nothing has materialised.”

A local student highlighted the inadequacy of the educational facilities and said there is only one small middle school, which is not sufficient for a large number of students.

“Many students have to leave their homes to study, leaving their families without support. Similarly, there is no health clinic, and women in labour often have to travel dangerous roads to reach medical facilities. There have been cases where babies were born during the journey,” the student said.

Previously, pilgrims travelling to offer prayers during Muharram complained about the poor road conditions leading to a pilgrimage site near the mountain peaks of PoGB.

They had to spend additional hours climbing the peak due to the state of the roads.

One traveller described the difficulties faced during the journey and said, “The pilgrimage site is already a challenging location. We had to carry our baggage over poorly constructed roads, and inadequate street signs led to confusion and disorientation.”

Another traveller noted, “We started our journey from Skardu late at night and reached the base of the mountain. Locals warned us about the road conditions and informed us that although contracts for road construction were awarded years ago, no progress has been made.”

A further traveller added that many people visit this site for prayers and encounter similar difficulties.

“While it is easier for younger people like us, elderly individuals, children, and women face significant hardships. Many people visit this site for prayers and encounter similar difficulties. This situation is unacceptable,” the traveller said.

The travellers also reported that after enduring an eight-hour climb, there were no facilities provided by the administration for resting, forcing them to sit on uncomfortable rocks.

However, despite previous complaints filed with local authorities regarding road construction, no action has been taken.