ISLAMABAD - With the onset of the snowy season, a number of tourists from across the country have started visiting the hilly areas to enjoy the beauty of nature during snowfall. According to a private news channel, a great rush of tourists was witnessed in popular tourism destinations including Murree, Malam Jabba, Kalam, Naran, Kaghan, Swat, Hunza, Ziarat, Chitral, and Kashmir. Reportedly, local as well as international tourists are increasing significantly after the first snowfall of the season but visitors are facing issues related to lodging and increased rates as several hotels and other businesses had already been closed before the start of the current snowfall spell. As Naran-Kaghan Road is closed since November 2022, the only available route to these destinations is the Karakoram Highway. Visitors are advised to check weather advisories, road situations, and routes before leaving for these destinations. Pakistan is a very beautiful country with diverse weather conditions and locations. A large number of visitors in Swat also witnessed that many hotels were already booked and requested the authorities concerned to take serious action against the profiteers who are taking advantage of the situation. RS150.57m bEING SpENt to AdvANCE ‘NAtIoNAl mINERAlS dAtA CENtRE’ pRojECt The government has allocated funds amounting to Rs 150.560 million in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP 2022-23) to advance an ongoing project of establishing a modern National Minerals Data Centre (NDMC). The project, initiated last year, is aimed at compiling data of available minerals for the facilitation of investors and future projects planning in the country. The two-year project is being jointly carried out by the Petroleum and Planning Divisions in consultation with all Provincial Mines & Minerals Departments including that of Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and the Geological Survey of Pakistan. “Pakistan has worldclass minerals’ resource potential but contribution in the national GDP is 1pc which is considerably below the global average of 2-8% of GDP primarily due to non-availability of integrated geological, regulatory and other relevant data that is the basic requirement for investment facilitation and projects’ planning,” according to an official document available with APP. Under the project, Geographic Information System (GIS)- based integrated solutions and application development would be established to ensure the availability of online geospatial data and maps for investment facilitation and benefit of the stakeholders in the minerals sector. The NMDC would contain information such as geological and geochemical maps, minerals sample analysis reports, airborne geophysical maps, areas granted and applied for mineral titles, roads and rails layers, geographical borderlines (province, district and town), reserves areas like ‘strategic, forest and religious places.
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