Rivers of Pakistan -The Gilgit River

 

It is a tributary of the of River Indus flowing past the town ofGilgit in Pakistan. The river is located in the northern areas of Azad Kashmir and originates from the Shandur lake.

Shandur is a route from Gilgit to Chitral in the Hindu Kush range and is at a height of approximately 12,000 feet. Annual polo game is played in this area with the representation of the Gilgit and Chitral cities.

Lakes of Pakistan – Rama Lake

Location	Elevation
9 km from Astore valley,  Baltistan	2600m  8530ft

Rama Valley is nearly 3300 m above sea level. In winters the valley is covered with snow for more than seven months each year but in summers it is filled with greenery everywhere. There are thick forests with trees like pine, fir, juniper and cedar.

On the way to Rama Lake there comes Astore villages. From there it’s a 2-3 hours drive to the lake. Astore has been upgraded to a district of Gilgit Baltistan since 2005. There are around 50 small villages in Astore out of which Chilm is the most beautiful. It is the strating point of Deosai ( 2^nd highest plane of the world). This lake is located in choungrah where the locals are called Chougroch.

Camping is very popular in summer season in this area and the road to the lake is quite well maintained. Tourists really enjoy  the drive and stay in the valley due to the captivating scenery all around. PTDC has also established a nice motel on the lake and many families stay there and witness the beautiful sunset and sunrise for many days. Trekers and Hikers also get lots of routes and jeep safari is also enjoyable. The mountaineers wishing to explore the mighty heights of the great Nanga Parbat camp on the lake and then move forward. Rama lake is surely a heavely place to visit.

The Hunza Lake Catastrophe

On 4th January 2010 disaster struck the picturesque valley of Hunza in the form of a massive landslide. The landslide caused a major blockade of the Hunza River thereby creating an artificial lake. This lake is called as Atta Abad lake. The lake fed by the melting glaciers expanded steadily and is now 353 feet deep with the water rising at an average of 2 to 3 feet daily. Many villages and at an estimate 100 houses have submerged in water. Around 1,700 people have been rendered homeless as the rising water gushed into the villages.

The officials fear that the worst is yet to come as the lake might burst its banks and cause more flooding which would disrupt the lives of 50,000 people besides causing considerable damage to the infrastructure. Even the Karakoram Highway is under threat. Part of the Karakoram Highway is already closed because of the flooding of Gilmat a resort on the Highway linking Pakistan and China.

Steps Taken By the Government

To lower the pressure, a spillway is being dug to divert the water from the lake to its old course the River Gilgit. The government has also set up relief camps where medicines and food supplies are available. Nine tent camps for the displaced people have been set up as well. To warn the people of any emergency, warning sirens have been installed in control rooms and help centers throughout Hunza and Gilgit.

Administrative Divisions of Pakistan

Pakistan is located in South Asia. It is located at a very important place from geographic and strategic point of view. The Islamic Republic of Pakistan comprises of 4 provinces Sindh, Punjab, Baluchistan and NWFP, one capital territory Islamabad, a federal territory FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) and two autonomous states Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit and Baltistan.

In 2000 the Pervez Musharraf government adopted a system of administration named “Local government system”, in which each province was sub-divided into districts, known as “zilas” locally). The districts form the topmost tier of the three tier local government and are further sub divided into tehsils (counties). Villages and municipalities come under tehsils. The City Districts are big metropolitan areas which comprise of towns and union councils. The tehsils and union councils are the 2 lower tiers of the local government.

The districts have the authority of carrying out certain functions independently. Each district is headed by a Nazim (Mayor). There are 105 provincial districts with 400 tehsils and over 6 thousand union councils. Over all there are five thousand local governments.

There are seven tribal agencies and six small frontier regions in FATA. Azad Kashmir has seven districts and Gilgit Baltistan comprises of six districts.

Federal capital Islamabad has been given the status of a district.

Travel Pakistan – Places to visit in Gilgit and Popular peaks of Hunza

Places to visit in Gilgit:

You can reach the beautiful Gilgit city by air using the PIA’s ATR 42-500 which flies twice from the federal capital, Islamabad. Gilgit is the capital of Northern Areas of Pakistan. It attracts thousands of visitors every year due to its splendid scenery and magnificent mountains. The places that are worth a visit in Gilgit are numerous. Here are a few of the most fascinating placing that a visitor must visit.

1- You will have to move 10km away from the Gilgit city to reach the beautiful Buddha picture carved on the mountain. This Buddha has many traditions. The most famous tradition tells us that it was a monument of victory built by Taj Mughal.

2- The valley of Naltar is only 35 Km away from the city of Gilgit and it is the most beautiful valleys in the entire region. It is known for its beautiful lush green pastures and scenery. The pine village in the Naltar valley is a place that you should not miss in any case.

3- It takes three hours to reach another beautiful sight known as Hunza valley. Hunza valley is strikingly beautiful and it has the world’s most beautiful peaks like Rakaposhi and Ultar Sar.

3 most beautiful mountains in Hunza Valley:

The Hunza Valley is arguably the most beautiful place in Pakistan. It has beautiful mountain peaks, very hospitable people and a very rich culture. The Hunza Valley is also famous for its dry fruits. Apricot of Hunza is known all around the world.

This valley has the world’s most beautiful mountain peaks which include the magnificent Rakaposhi. Rakaposhi is 7,788 meters high and it is ranked 27th in the world and 12th in the Pakistan. But if you rank it for beauty, it will be among top three in the world. Its local name is DUmani which means ‘mother of mist’.

Ultar Sar is another beautiful peak in the Hunza valley. This mountain is 7,388 meters high and has a very steep rise. This mountain looks magnificent as the river bends around the mountain.

The Hunza Peak is arguably the 3rd most beautiful peak in Hunza valley. It is 6,270 meters high and it was climed in 1991 by a Swedish expedition which was followed by a British expedition. Both used different routes but same style (alpine style) to climb the peak.

Destiny of Kashmir – Pakistan or India?

1947 saw the first of many fights which the world witnessed between Pakistan and India, over Kashmir. Although more than 70% of the population of Kashmir is Muslims, the Raja of Jammu and Kashmir politically found it convenient to join hands with India on the time of partition. Muslim Kashmiris were too depressed on this act and rebelled. In a fit of desperation, Raja signed the accession treaty with India as Indian troops took over one part of Kashmir. Until this date, the other part of Kashmir belongs to Pakistan.

After the first war of 1947, the valley was divided into two parts. Pakistan had control over a thin strip of land encompassing Western Kashmir, Gilgit, and Baltistan. The rest of Kashmir came under the control of India. But the point was that the UN treaty had made it clear that the state was a disputed territory and neither of the countries could lay claims to it. This led to indecision and ill feelings between the two nations, a matter still unresolved 64 years later.

Is it not time all of us learn to make peace? That is all we could say. Democracy and the sorting out a problem through political discussions can lead us to prosperity, while incidents like the 1948, 1965, and the 1971 wars will only hinder the progress of both countries.