I have been to the Soon Valley twice and i always kick myself why I do not spend longer there. It is sad not many people dont visit it but then again too many tourists can ruin an area.
It is a great place for trekking and birdwatching. In winter White-headed Ducks use the area for their stay. Most of them winter here. I have seen many birds here. Others have been luckier and have seen urial and numerous reptiles.
Pretty Soon
Preparations are on to market Soon Valley to local tourists
By Shahzada Irfan Ahmed
Not many people travelling on the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway know they can take an exit from Lillah or Kallar Kahar interchange and make it to the land of their dreams, in less than an hour. The reference here is to the picturesque Soon Valley in district Khushab, which is home to vast natural forests, wildlife, hills, natural springs, numerous species of local and migratory birds – and one of the most beautiful lakes in the world.
It won’t be wrong to say it’s one of the best-kept secrets of the country. Interestingly, the Punjab government has decided to develop and market the valley to the local investors as an easily accessible tourist hub. The thought at work, as mentioned in the project’s concept paper, is that it’s time to give an option to tourists who are reluctant to go to tourist points like Swat, Chitral and Mansehra due to security concerns.
Similarly, Murree is crowded and expensive whereas Gilgit-Baltistan region is inaccessible. Soon Valley is within reach, especially for the people of Punjab, and serves the purpose for which they go to hill stations. An additional attractionis its all-year-round pleasant weather, whereas tourist activity comes to a stand-still in the areas mentioned above in fall and winter season.
In this backdrop, the Khushab district administration gave a presentation to the Punjab government last month about tourism-oriented development in the Soon Valley. The government has agreed in principle to go ahead with this plan and has already released funds for the initiation of some of the related projects. The district government hopes it will be ready to host tourists by coming September, and that the subsequent approvals and financial support from the Punjab government will flow in.
Presently people come here on a day trip but are unable to enjoy the spectacular views of sunrise and sunset for lack of boarding facilities.
On the developments, Syed Gulzar Husain, District Coordination Officer (DCO) Khushab tells TNS the Punjab government has agreed to set up a Project Management Unit (PMU) to discuss related proposals and execute them. “Our aim is to set up basic infrastructure in four to five years, after which the private sector can come in full sway.”
He says that six different locations in the valley shall be developed and lakes will not be used for any extraordinary activity such as water sports etc. This will help conserve the ecology of the area.
The proposed facilities include different treks and trails along the boundary of Soon Valley for mountain biking, rock climbing, camping sites, lake view points, a paragliding centre at Katha Shagral, wildlife parks, bird-watching centres and so on – both for families and the adventurous lot.
The best part, Gulzar adds that the project will take minimal investment and proper marketing to make it a success. “Most of the required infrastructure already exists, all that is needed is its proper management. The government will avoid mega projects requiring large-scale financial commitments and instead, focus on the creation of a culture – and tourism-oriented stakeholder base.”
Gulzar says tourism department is already planning the construction of tourist resorts at lakes which involves a phased construction of five youth hostels and the utilisation of government rest houses as tourist accommodations. Also, conversion of primary schools and teachers’ residential building at Boys’ College, Naushera, recently vacated under the school rationalisation policy into tourists lodging or youth hostel is on the cards too, he says.
Gulzar tells the government is trying to introduce the concept of home-stay at various rural sites like the village in the foothills of Sakesar. This village oversees the huge Uchali Lake, which is home to many species of local and migratory birds.
Uunder the plan, a limited number of houses per population will be cleared for tourism purposes after due screening, verification and validation. In case the number of aspirants is high, a short-listing will be done through balloting or auction – and appropriate training and education will be imparted to such households. There’s no shortage of suitable houses in these areas as every village or locality has a sufficient number of retired army personnel residing there. “They can host people as they have much more exposure than those who have never left their place,” says Gulzar.
Malik Javed Awan MPA, says that the Punjab CM has approved Rs170 million for the construction of the Nowshera-Jaba Road. This will facilitate the tourists and minimise the time spent on the journey. Funds for transformation of government’s guesthouses, schools, dysfunctional Basic Health Units (BHUs) into tourist housing facilities have also been approved by the Punjab government. Teams of Planning and Development (P&D) Department have completed their surveys in the valley, which, he says, is proof of the fact that the ball is rolling.
Awan says a proposal has been given to the Punjab government to dig a tunnel in a mountain to shorten the travel time between Khushab and Mianwali by three hours.
Masood Arshad, Senior Manager, Pakistan Wetlands Programme, WWF says the Soon Valley development initiative was taken by Khushab DCO who has immense interest in environment and conservation , “WWF was taken on board and asked to give its input on the project. The rationale behind the whole plan was to provide the local tourists with entertainment opportunities in the heart of Punjab.”
Masood says foreign tourists will be kept out-of-bounds as the area is sensitive in terms of security and national defence. WWF had concerns about threat to the eco-system in case there were too much brick and mortar constructions, solid waste disposal and activity in freshwater lakes. Besides, there are no rules and regulations about setting up a nature park and governing it. “We suggested there should be a legislation in this regard.”
He informs water sports have been dropped because of fears it will deter the migratory birds and change the ecology. Instead, they have suggested setting up “bird hides” from where tourists can watch the varied species of birds without being noticed. Masood tells there are 150 species of local and migratory birds in the valley, including the globally endangered white-headed duck. Besides, he says, “there is Punjab Urial which is nearing extinction and, if not protected, will be found only in the game reserve of late Nawab Amir Muhammad Khan of Kalabagh. The proposal to establish Urial watching centre is also a good idea.”
He suggests the local community should be involved and compensated for activities like hunting and fishing. Culling trees will be prohibited. Besides, there is a need for proper management of water flow in springs, floodwater and reverie areas to ensure presence of water in lakes and maintenance of ground water level.
The Khushab DCO tells that they have identified counter-points in the valley as some areas are not open to the general public due to security concerns. For example, he says, they have pointed out an alternative site for valley view as there’s PAF radar installed at the Sakesar hilltop.
The first phase of the marketing plan focuses on government schools that will be asked to bring their students to the valley once boarding facilities are in place. A proposal is also in place to include chapters about Soon Valley in the curriculum, he adds. “Unlike in the past, the rural youth nowadays is also confined to home-based activities like cable TV viewing, mobile phone usage and internet surfing. I think they will be equally attracted by the facilities the government plans to offer in the area.”