A major development has taken place in the long-delayed Daducha Dam project as the Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court has ruled in favour of the dam affectees, directing the administration and government to pay compensation not only for their land but also for the structures of their houses and dense trees on the acquired properties.
Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan dismissed the administration's plea to lift the stay on construction without resolving compensation issues. The court upheld the key demand of the affectees and stated that unless full compensation is paid, the stay will remain in effect.
The court instructed the government to come before the High Court with "clean hands" - meaning after compensating all landowners for their land, homes, and trees. It stated that only then would the court consider lifting the stay and disposing of related petitions.
The petitioners - Muhammad Zulfiqar, Ajmal Shoaib, Nasir Kayani, and others - clarified that they are not against the dam, acknowledging it as a beneficial project.
However, they emphasised that their dispute is solely about compensation. They claimed while they are being compensated for land, no payment is being made for the houses, animal sheds, and large trees present on their properties.
They assured the court that if fair compensation is provided, the entire village will be vacated voluntarily.
The administration had requested the court to end the stay order to allow construction to resume, but the court rejected the plea. Instead, it directed the administration to consult all stakeholders, complete the compensation process, and then file a separate application indicating that all dues have been cleared.
The court assured it would immediately hear such an application to allow swift progress on the dam's construction.
Proposed in 2001, the Daducha Dam project has seen repeated delays.
The original cost was estimated at Rs7 billion, which increased to Rs14 billion by 2024. Due to rising costs of building materials and the inclusion of compensation for homes and trees, the project's cost may increase by another 25pc.
Daducha is Rawalpindi's largest dam project. It will stand 123 feet above sea level and have a storage capacity of 60,000 acre-feet.
Once operational, it is expected to provide 35 million gallons of water daily to Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
The dam's catchment area spans 129 square kilometres, and 16,194 kanal and 4 marla of land have been acquired for the project. It is being developed by the Small Dams Organisation, with construction contracted to the Frontier Works Organization (FWO).
At the latest hearing, Assistant Commissioner Saddar, Hakim Khan, appeared on behalf of the government.
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