Diamer-Bhasha Dam: Affected villagers demand compensation

Threaten to block Karakoram Highway in protest after September 30.

ABBOTABAD: Land owners in Kohistan district have threatened to block the Karakoram Highway if they are not paid compensation for land acquired for the construction of Diamer-Bhasha Dam by the end of the month.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Haji Muhammad Wakeel, Shah Zarin, Asadullah Qureshi, Saeed Khan Abbasi and Maulana Abdul Rehman said that in 2006, Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) had acquired 1,300 acres of land for the construction of Diamer-Bhasha Dam and Wapda Colony within the revenue limits of Kohistan District, for which compensation of Rs262 million was agreed upon. Five years later, the government and Wapda have still not disbursed the amount to the affected people.

They said that Wapda has disbursed compensation to the land owners in Diamer, but Kohistanis are still running between the offices of the concerned authorities, only to be faced with delay tactics.

However, they vowed to fight for their rights and gave the govt and Wapda an ultimatum to either ensure the payment of compensation, or revoke the acquisition award and hand over the property rights for the acquired land by September 30, or 11,000 affected villagers from Dasu Tehsil and the areas surrounding Kohistan would block the Karakoram Highway for an indefinite period. The responsibility for any disorderly situation arising would be on the government and Wapda authorities, they added.

They expressed resentment over the attitude of the government and Wapda towards the people of Kohistan, adding that they sacrificed their ancestors’ land in the greater national interest, “but our rights have never been respected and we have always been considered third-class citizens”.

They also accused District Revenue Officer Adam Shah of irregularities in his handling of land acquisition and compensation payments.

The US$8.5 billion Diamer-Bhasha Dam is being built on the Indus River, around 300 km upstream of Tarbela Dam, and is expected to generate 4,500 megawatts of electricity. The project was initiated in 2009 and is expected to completed by 2016.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26^th,  2011.