By Muhammad Aslam

ISLAMABAD, June 19 (APP): Despite restraint of resources,  Benazir Bhutto International Airport (BBIA) – 3rd largest and  busiest facility after Jinnah and Allama Iqbal Airports in the  country, is handling 390,000 passengers, 3,060 flights and  900,000 visitors every month in a highly professional manner.

With passage of time and Rs 479 million’s recent renovation,  the airport has become a preferred choice for both domestic and international passengers due to the improved facilities being  extended by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) in  collaboration with 11 different supportive agencies and  departments round the clock.

The BBIA, being the federal capital airport where foreign  dignitaries, politicians, businessmen, passengers from surrounding localities of the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi frequently  visit, remains bustling with activities as flights of three domestic  and 13 international airlines land and take-off even at all odd hours.

Ayesha Shahid, who arrived at the airport last week from US,  said being a `fairly regular international traveler, it was a great experience to land at the BBIA. “When I landed, all the procedures  were systematic, quick and well managed. Even I found free Wi-Fi  instantly. The luggage arrived on time and any questions I had,  were answered b helpful staff all around,” she remarked.

Another passenger, Haider Naqvi, said “With the recent  renovations, the airport is really well constructed and has  good services. But, a little expensive.”

Farhan Sarwar, another traveler, said visiting the BBIAP  was overall a good experience, adding, “No mismanagement was  seen as I had heard.”

Sultan Ahmed, who travelled from Karachi to Islamabd, said  it was a pleasure to see the renovated bathrooms clean and no  smell.” Good work, however, it needs regular maintenance.”

Spokesperson of Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA)  Ms Fariha Shah told APP that the airport was handling approximately  13,000 passengers both domestic and international regardless of traveling class, 51 scheduled departure/arrival flights, 25,000  to 30,000 meeters and greeters per day.

Because of passengers’ heavy traffic, she said, it was a  tough job for the airport staff to maintain quality of service  and to satisfy each and every passenger, but the airport management was ensuring it in an efficient way.

“Due to the very nature of airports, there are other  functionaries or agencies which play their respective role to  ensure smooth working at the airport, besides safety and security with all ease of passengers as well as visitors,” she said.

Elaborating, the spokesperson said, BBIA had approximately  11 different agencies/functionaries including Immigration and  Passport, National Database and Regulatory Authority (NADRA),  Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Pakistan Customs, Anti-Narcotics  Force (ANF), Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), Airport Security Force (ASF), Bureau of Immigration Overseas Employment, Ministry of Religious Affairs and Overseas Pakistani Foundation (OPF) to facilitate passengers.

Besides, she said, there were three domestic airlines (PIA,  Shaheen and Air Blue) and approximately 13 foreign airlines operating  from the airport to domestic and international designations and vice  versa.

Primarily, she said, a passenger engaged with the airlines’  staff as he/she went through the boarding or arrival process at  airport. “In case of any delay or cancellation of flights, the passenger’s traveling experience turns from good to bad and further  worsens when he/she is not properly handled or given correct and  timely information. ”

Courteous behavior of the functionaries, along with comfortable,  clean and safe environment provided by PCAA also count in the overall  travel experience.

She said the authority had set up special complaint cells in all lounges, concourse hall and duty manager’s office where passengers  could register their grievances and give feedback to further improve  the existing services.

Passengers can also call at toll free number 0800-00114 or 111-222 114 or email at feedback.bbiap@caapakistan.com.pk or a web  form available at CAA website: http://atfmslive.caapakistan.com.pk/pcs/
Once the complaint is received, it is entered into a software  system on a priority and a tracking number is allotted. The complaint  is then forwarded to the relevant department,airline or agency  whichever applicable for investigation purposes.

An interim reply is also sent to the passenger within 48 hours  of the complaint registration. A senior PCAA officer is deputed to  review and resolve the complaint, which is also communicated to the passenger and the query is closed in the system.

Summary of the unresolved complaints is regularly compiled and presented to the airport management for quick resolution in order
to provide improved services to air travelers.

The spokesperson said average 60 complaints were registered
with the designated cells per month that was not a worrisome
figure, keeping in view the volume of passengers’ traffic.

Giving details, Fariha said the nature of complaints vary  from minor thefts to missing precious items from passenger  baggage, delay and cancellation of flights to non-issuance of boarding card, late receipt of passenger baggage and provision  of low quality food items.

The PCAA, Fariha said, had introduced branded food outlets  at the airport besides providing clean and cold drinking water  for passengers and their meeters/greeters, appropriate seating  for elderly citizens in Concourse Hall, 32 public toilets in  general car parking to keep the quality service intact.

Recently, she said, the authority launched an awareness  campaign titled “Passenger Rights” during which it educated the  passengers about their rights related to lost baggage.

“The BBIA management has taken drastic security measures to  ensure secure and safe environment for passengers by installing  close circuit television cameras at strategic locations, which  helped in curbing criminal elements,” she remarked.

By Zahoor Ahmed

ISLAMABAD, June 19 (APP): Around 5,000 glaciers in northern areas of Chitral district and Gilgit-Baltistan region are melting at a much faster rate due to increase in average temperatures in the mountainous valleys.

“Presently, glacial melting is among major global warming-induced risk Pakistan is grappled with.

Other risks include sea-level rise, floods, higher than average temperature, a higher frequency of droughts and expanding desertification,” Deputy Director Ministry of Climate Change Mohammad Saleem Shaikh told APP here Sunday.

During summer months, he said, increased or above normal flows in glacial streams, which all eventually feed the 3,500 kilometers-long Indus River, clearly indicate that the country’s glaciers are melting
rapidly.

The mountain streams now flow even in winter, which  was never observed couple of years ago as revealed by  the residents particularly Hunza, Ghizer, Gupis,  Skardu, Gulmit and Bagrot valleys of the Gilgit-Baltistan in  the country’s north, reflecting the gravity of the global warming  issue, he said.

“Temperatures in most of the mountainous valleys never used to go beyond 30 degree Celsius during summer but now it surpasses 40 degree Celsius at times.”

This rise in temperature was causing expansion of rainy  weather on one hand and squeezing the snowfall period on the other.

The reduced snowfall period makes it difficult for the snow to  take the shape of glaciers,” Mohammad Saleem said.

Increase in frequency and intensity in rainfall instead of snowfall in these mountains triggers flash floods, which results in large-scale damages in the areas.

The official, who is also spokesman of the ministry, said besides rising earth temperatures, high paced urbanization of the mountain valleys and increased vehicular traffic have accelerated the melting process of the  glaciers.

However, Pakistani scientists have already said that glaciers in Pakistan’s Karakoram mountain range in the Upper Indus Basin areas were stable and some were even building up. But research-based strong evidences show that a good number of glaciers are now melting fast due to  rising tempratures.

This is alarming that melting process continues in winter  also due to which we find exceptional flow in streams and rivers.

This is causing flooding in these valleys, posing risks to lives and livelihoods of the people besides damaging the infrastructure in
these areas.

Recent findings of 10 weather monitoring stations installed by the Pakistan Meteorological Department also concluded that glaciers in ablation zone [which refers to the low-altitude area of a glacier] is receding faster and snowline is marching upward.

This means shrinking in the glacier area. “This means that the
ablation zones are increasing and accumulation zones of the glaciers reducing.”

It is because at the lower elevation up to 2,500 meters the heat penetration is increasing, which is causing the glaciers shrink at such elevation levels.

For instance, one weather monitoring station installed at the Hinarchi glacier in Bagrot valley of Gilgit district, has showed that the glacier has
retreated 800 metres in the 32 years between 1977 and 2009.

It retreated another 300 metres between 2009 and 2014.

Likewise, the Baulter glacier which had retreated 1,500 metres, shrank another 400 metres by 2014.

The future of the Barpu glacier looks bleak as it has
shrunk 640 metres since 1977.

These weather monitoring stations of the Pakistan Meteorological Department also showed that over one degree Celsius rise in temperature, which caused the formation of glacial lakes and the phenomenon of GLOF – glacial lakes outburst floods – occasionally high river flows, land slips and slides.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), there were some 2,400 potentially hazardous glacial lakes in the country’s remotest mountain valleys in 2010, a number that has now
increased to over 3,000.

On the other hand, some glaciologists say that now all Karakorum glaciers were melting. They estimate that 58 percent glaciers in the area were gaining mass and 42 percent were shredding. But such observations of the glaciologists are based on satellite observations
and not field studies.

The surging glacial melt during summer months, particularly during monsoon season (June-September) would often lead to river flooding downstream.

On the heels of reports of rapid glacier melting in the country’s north, warnings have been already sounded by water experts that the country would most likely confront an acute water shortage, because there
would no longer be any water reserves in the form of glaciers.

This poses stark risk to the sustainability of agriculture sector, which is mainstay of the country’s economy.

These negative impacts of global warming on the country’s glaciers can be mitigated with adaptation measures, such as water conservation at domestic, industrial in general and agriculture in particularly.
Because, agriculture consumes nearly 96 percent of the total water available in any form.

Water reservoirs of varying sizes would compliment the water conservation measures that should be backed by nation-wide public awareness for wise use of the water resources in every possible manner and wastage of the natural resource must be made a punishable crime.