GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION

KALAM KOHISTAN IS THE NAME GIVEN TO THE NORTH-MOST OF THE SWAT DISTRICT IN THE NORTH WEST FRONTIER PROVINCE, INCLUDING KALAM AND THE AREAS BEYOND KALAM. TO THE NORTH THE MOUNTAINS OF CHITRAL AND THE GILGIT AGENCY Border It. TO THE EAST, SEVERAL HIGH MOUNTAIN PASSES LEAD INTO THE KANDIA VALLEY OF INDUS KOHISTAN. FREQUENTLY TRAVELLED MOUNTAIN PASSES ALSO CONNECT TO THE WEST, TO THE VILLAGES OF THAL AND LAMUTI IN DIR KOHISTAN. KALAM IS THE NAME OF A VILLAGE LOCATED AT THE CONFLUENCE OF THE USHU AND UTROT RIVERS, WHICH FORM THE RIVER SWAT. THE KALAM KOHISTANI PEOPLE OCCUPY MOST OF THE UPPER-MOST PARTS OF THE SWAT VALLEY. HOWEVER, SOME OF THE HIGHEST PERMANENT SETTLEMENTS ARE NOT INHABITED BY KALAMIS BUT BY GUJARS, WHO SPEAK THEIR OWN LANGUAGE GUJARI.

KALAM VILLAGE IS LOCATED AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 6800 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL. THE SCENERY IN KALAM IS DOMINATED BY THE GLACIERS OF THE NEARBY MANKIAL RANGE, EAST OF KALAM, AND BY THE MORE DISTANT PEAK OF THE FALAKSER. THE PEAKS OF MANKIAL AND FALAKSER REACH AN ALTITUDE OF JUST UNDER 20,000 FEET.

ALTITUDE

KALAM 6800 m

USHU 7500 m

UTRORE 7300 m

GABRAL 7500 m

FALAKSAIR PEAK 19500 ft

MANKIAL PEAK 18400 ft

WEATHER

IN WINTER THE WEATHER BECOME VERY COLD AND MURCURRY FALLS BELOW ZERO POINT. FROM DECEMBER TO APRIL SNOW FALLS AND REMAIN ON GROUND TILL MAY. FROM MAY PEOPLE START PLOUGHING THEIR FIELDS. SUMMER STARTS FROM JUNE AND ENDS IN AUGUST. THAT IS THE PEAK SEASON FOR TOURISTS. MOSTLY THE PAKISTANI TOURIST VISITS DURING THIS TIME. FOREIGN TOURIST LIKES TO VISIT KALAM IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER. IN SUMMER SOMETIME THE MURCURRY GO UPTO 35 DEGREES CELCIUS. TOURIST SHOULD BRING THEIR COATS AND JACKETS ALONG WITH THEM.

POPULATION

ACCORDING TO THE OFFICIAL CENSUS REPORT IN 1997 THE TOTAL POPULATION OF KALAM TEHSIL IS 31000. BUT THE CENSUS WAS IN WINTER THAT IS WHY THE FIGURE IS SO LOW. MOST OF THE KALAMI PEOPLE GO TO PLAIN AREAS IN WINTER FOR WORK AND BETTER LIVING. ACTUAL FIGURES ARE APROXIMATELY 50,000 AND ABOVE.

DISTANCE FROM KALAM

USHU 09 KM

MATILTAN 12 KM

MAHODAND 35 KM

UTRORE 20 KM

GABRAL 25 KM

ISLAMABAD 255 KM

PESHAWAR 272 KM

SAIDU SHARIF 100 KM

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

IN KALAM FROM TWO YEARS ONE HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL STARTED FUNCTIONING. THE HIGH SCHOOLS IN KALAM TEHSIL ARE KALAM PROPER, MATILTAN, UTRORE AND GABRAL. THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS ARE IN ASHURUN, USHU, BUYUN, JAILBAND AND GABRAL. THERE ARE A LOTS OF OTHER PRIMARY SCHOOLS TOO ARE FUNCTIONING.

IN KALAM THERE IS ONE GIRLS MIDDLE SCHOOL AND A QUITE FEW OTHER PRIMARY SCHOOLS ARE AVAILABLE FOR GIRLS. SOME OF THE SWISS AID RUN HOME TUTION CENTRES ARE ALSO WORKING IN THE AREA.

APART FROM THESE SOME PRIVATE SCHOOLS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE.

HOSPITALS

A RURAL HEALTH CENTER IS FUNCTIONING IN KALAM TEHSIL. SOME OTHER DISPENCERIES ARE AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE IN USHU, GABRAL, JAILBAND AND GORKIN.