Dadochha Dam compensation row halts work
Locals stand guard over their ancestral land as officials arrive with machinery to raze settlements at Dadochha Dam site on the outskirts of Rawalpindi. Photo: Express
Local residents halted an operation to demolish houses and shops by force for the Dadochha Dam project, lying down in front of bulldozers and heavy machinery. Women and children were among those who blocked the operation and launched a protest.
The operational team, using force, partly demolished two widows' homes, one poultry shed, four shops and sections of boundary walls and sheds of eight roadside houses.
As the protest intensified, the assistant commissioner issued final eviction notices giving five days to vacate homes and shops in three settlements and then withdrew.
The Dadochha Dam was due to be completed in December 2025, but that deadline now appears impossible. Delays have raised the estimated cost well above the earlier figure of Rs7 billion.
Affected residents of the Dadochha Dam announced they would insist on compensation at market rates in accordance with Supreme Court rulings. "We are not against this national project," they said.
"Our ancestors have lived here for 200 years. Pay us market rates for our land and trees, and give us at least 40 days to vacate. We will clear all areas that fall under the dam, but we will not accept Rs0.7-1 million in place of land worth 2 million."
The operation, conducted on Saturday under the leadership of Assistant Commissioner Hakim Khan, targeted four neighbourhoods that fall entirely within the dam's reservoir area: Bharowala, Mohra Faiz, and Khanpur among them.
"These are complete settlements that are part of the dam," the assistant commissioner said, adding that the five-day deadline is final and that full preparations for a larger operation would be made for the week of November 68.
"No excuses will be accepted. Anyone who resists will face the law. Next week we will clear the entire area and use bulldozers. Shift your belongings and vacate the area yourselves."
Local residents Rab Nawaz and Ajmal Jamshed said they would not be evicted by force. "We are not against this national project," they said. "Our demand, which has been upheld by the High Court and Supreme Court, is that we be paid market compensation for our lands and century-old trees. Vacate the area completely, but do not offer us half or three-quarters prices. We will offer peaceful, full-force non-violent resistance. Kill us with our families and take our property, then proceed with the Dadochha Dam."
The Dadochha Dam project dates back to 2001 during the tenure of former chief minister Pervez Elahi, but stalled for political reasons.
At the time, the estimated cost was Rs200 crore; 24 years later the cost has risen to more than Rs7 billion. Upon completion, the dam will supply Rawalpindi with 35 million gallons of water per day, easing the Kant-Pasni water shortage.