Staff Reporter
The affectees of the Dadhocha Dam in Rawalpindi on Monday held a public meeting and peaceful protest against their forced displacement by the Punjab government without rehabilitation.
The protest demonstration was attended by residents of Dadocha, Bharwala, Khanpur, Dhadhar Najaar, Mohra Wains villages close to Rawat industrial area. Because of the dam’s construction, over 400 households of over 5 villages (with nearly 4000 inhabitants) falling in the dam’s reservoir areas were in danger of losing their homes, agricultural lands and livelihoods. The meeting and march was also attended by AWP Punjab President Ammar Rashid, Hassan Turi, Ibrahim Bashir and Areej Hussain.
Local farmers and villagers said that the Punjab government and district administration had commenced construction of the dam without any settlement with the indigenous inhabitants or a resettlement plan. This was being done through the imposition of the draconian Land Acquisition Act despite the fact that the matter was still sub-judice in the Lahore High Court.
Local resident Pervez Kiyani described how they were being offered a pitiful Rs. 5000 per marla (1 lac per kanal) for their agricultural land which was a fraction of their actual market value while the non-arable land in the area under DHA’s possession was being valued by the latter at nearly 80 lakh per kanal. He said if they were forced to leave their homes at such rates, they would be rendered homeless as it would be impossible to find other homes or land in Rawalpindi or adjoining areas at such rates. He urged Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Prime Minister Imran Khan to take notice of the destruction of their livelihoods and to ensure they are justly compensated.
Speaking on the occasion, local resident and protest organizer Raja Fayazul Haq Janjua said that they were not against dam construction to benefit Rawalpindi’s residents but said that it should not be done at the cost of the forced displacement of local inhabitants, who should instead be justly compensated and physically and economically resettled within the area.
