People who have traveled abroad will openly preach, “Oh, but Pakistan is so beautiful.” It sure is but not everyone just likes to enjoy scenic beauty, some people want to experience the adventure through thrilling activities. This is why, countries that are popular tourist destinations, invest in them. Yet, while people do endorse Pakistan as a tourist destination, domestic or otherwise, it has probably the worst maintenance of touristic activities which is clear from the recent Khanpur dam accident.
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The mishap at the Khanpur Dam
At Khanpur Dam, you can find quite a few adventurous activities. One such activity is parasailing. It is similar to paragliding but it happens above water. A poor soul chose to experience what seemed like rare fun available in Pakistan. There were some helpers around him who prepared him for the journey. Little did he know that in a few seconds, he will get into an accident that might put his spine in danger.
The moment he started his parasailing ride and was slightly above water, the rope broke. The pressure of the wind pushed him back onto the sand where he fell. One can speculate the height from which he fell to be more than 35 feet easily.
Chair lift accident
This incident with regard to touristic activities is not in isolation. You must remember the horrifying incident of the Patriata chair lift. It was a tragedy. But is it really unexpected if the activities are not maintained; if certified skilled workers are not being hired; if the maintenance workers are the locals with no official training but rather their experience includes having seen others maintain it?
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What’s worse is that because such practices continue, there is no upkeep of the equipment. Recently, in fact, it was brought to light that the chairlift at Ayubia should have gone out of service 20 years ago. Imagine the thousands of people who take the ride even today because what other activity can they indulge in.
If Pakistan is being presented to the world as an eligible tourist destination, then maybe it is time for the authorities to take notice of these factors. The locals do not need to go out of job rather, the authorities can properly train them. The existing tools of these activities should be audited to see if they are outdated or not. Moreover, outdated equipment should definitely be replaced.
All over the internet, you will find people commenting on how there are better facilities abroad but not in Pakistan. This is why people are much more satisfied doing skydiving and paragliding in Turkey and Malaysia. Accidents can surely happen anywhere, but their proper upkeep limits the chances of incidents.
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