Margalla National Park’s Trail No 3, which was once the most visited tracks, has become a ghost place due to inattention of the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

The trail situated near Sector F-6 was a beautiful hiking track and it was daily visited by a large number of people including foreigners living in the federal capital.

The starting and end points of five-kilometres long trail are 600 meters and 1,100 meters above the sea level respectively. CDA some times back constructed some sitting areas with benches and umbrellas, but later paid no attention to their maintenance.

Mostly people preferred this track for jogging and hiking due to its easy access and for being it safe and secure.

Visitors told Daily Times that due to unavailability of water many visitors fainted due to dehydration. “We climbed the trail in enthusiasm, and being first timer did not carry water,” said Fargham Hussain, adding, as the result two of my friends fainted due to dehydration caused by unavailability of water in hot weather.

Another visitor Qurban Ahmed criticised CDA and said that the authority had converted Fatima Jinnah Park into a mess due to commercial constructions. He said people were coming to enjoy wildlife at Trail 3, but condition of this national asset was deteriorating due to authority’s negligence. He said land sliding caused by erosion was making the track unusable.

Another regular visitor Farid Ullah Khan, National Energy Conservation Centre’s managing director said trekking and hiking trails must be without any constructions or picnic points.

“It is the wilderness and nature that people come to enjoy, construction of umbrellas or benches kill its originality,” he said.

Talking about water facility, he said the authority should place signboards carrying guidelines for trekkers at the starting point of the trail to carry water bottles. However, he said the wilderness and originality of the track must be preserved by the administration.

Soil erosion: According to scientists, soil erosion was causing land sliding at Trail No 3 and the whole of the Margalla Hills was facing erosion problems due to excessive cutting of trees and increase in plantation of alien species, which don’t stop soil erosion. As density of alien species like Lantana Camara shrub (Punch Phuli) and paper mulberry increases, indigenous species richness decreases and denudation of land increases, they said, adding, these fast-growing and aggressive species form wooden barriers at the base of the Margalla Hills and take over a lot of natural grazing ground posing a threat to wildlife.

Waqar Ahmed of Himalayan Wildlife Foundation (HWF) told Daily Times that due to excessive tree cutting and wild growth of invasive species was not the only threat to wildlife but the rainwater cut mud and sand from the mountains and flow it into rivers and canals, decreasing the water carrying capacity of canals.

He said that if immediate measures were not taken this erosion could cause irreparable damage to whole Margalla Hills National Park.