Impact of COVID-19 in Gilgit-Baltistan

Salma Nelofer

 The dogfight for power was on its peak. None of the contestants bother what their lust for getting the tag of “superpower” had resulted in. The downtrodden masses who were already lacking the basic necessities lost their capacity to afford their one-off bread. Amid this grappling, rose the infinitesimal but puissant. It made the powerful to cringe back and struggle for the self-survival. It set all of them down so sudden that none could imagine.

 It has been 3 months since Covid-19 has footed within the reach of its influence. Where enormous powers take years to ground themselves, this weeny invisible cum extremely potent virus took few months to become a planetary contagion. Since then, the globe has taken an unknown turn and none can anticipate which way the world is going about. Through this tumultuous course of the fatal pandemic, there is a little of hope that researchers will introduce a novel vaccine to cure this pandemic before long. Doctors from various countries are heralding new vaccines but there isn’t any vivacious success to be seen yet.

 Covid-19 has tremendously affected everyone worldwide generally and our region specifically.

Gilgit-Baltistan was already facing inadequacy of numerous significant facilities, now, the present consequent condition of Covid-19 has worsened the situation. Despite myriad of issues, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, unlike the people of any other region, are cooperating entirely with the authorities.

Covid-19 has exclusively ruined the business. Due to the paucity of jobs, the dwellers are coerced to set up their small businesses which here and now are stalled. Most of the businessmen are facing huge losses. Is the government going to compensate for their loss?

 The educational sector is equally perturbed. All the educational activities in schools, colleges and universities are halted for an unknown period. However, online classes have begun which, haplessly, appear to be unavailing owing to undersupply of internet and electric facilities.

 Tourism, which considerably throve during the last decade, seems to be totally annihilated by this biological hurdle. Since, the current season is benignant for tourism but the ongoing posture is trammeling for further progress in this respect. It is a hellacious concern for newly emerging tourism related businesses and for those businessmen who have taken huge quantum of loans. Would the lenders cooperate with them regarding the immediate story?

 The record of agriculture in this region is as old as the presence of dwellers themselves. It is for the first time that this pandemic has also effected agricultural activity in Gilgit-Baltistan. It is still the way of earning a living for several families. How are they going to earn enough money to meet their needs?

 These are some of the problems of our people. Like the other nations yet we are optimistic that we will get rid of this stifling situation anon.