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| March 16, 2002 | Saturday | Muharram 1, 1423 |
Day of action against dams observed
HARIPUR, March 15: The experience of constructing big dams in Pakistan has not been very encouraging as such projects have displaced and rendered unemployed thousands of people, and destroyed the demography of the area.
This was stated by Ejaz Khan the president of the social organization for Mutassareen Tarbela Dam on the occasion of the commemoration the International Day of Action against Dams in Khalabat Township here on Thursday.
Tehsile Nazim Iftikhar Ashraf Khan, advocate, was also present on the occasion.
Ejaz Khan threw light on the affairs and the attitude of the project executing agency - the Wapda - towards the affected people, who according to him, sacrificed their culture, orchards, agriculture lands and even the graves of their ancestors in the interest of the nation, but have been let down by every government.
He said that for this project over 92,000 inhabitants of 120 villages of Tarbela and Khalabat area were displaced and settled in Khalabat Township, thereby, laying the foundation of our never- ending woes and unfulfilled promises, he said.
The compensation for the affected people that was announced in 1967 got was paid in 1973.
There are over 11,000 claims pending with Wapda for the last 30 years.
He said that in 1998 Wapda agreed through a commission headed by A.R Siddiqui to the allotment of 240 residential plots and 1,704 acres agriculture land, out of the 11,000 claims to over 2000 families. But nothing happened.
Criticizing the government policies in this regard Ejaz Khan questioned that when the haris of Punjab could be allotted 2,300,000 acres why not the Tarbela dam people?
He demanded of the government to earmark royalty for the people besides giving them preference in jobs in Tarbela and Ghazi Brotha dams.
Prof Tahir Jameel of Falkan Youth Organization Ghazi in his speech discussed the problems of the GBPP affected people and criticized the RAB for implicating them in corruption cases.
Earlier, Naeem of Sungi told the gathering about the history of dams, specially in Pakistan, and discussed their advantages and disadvantages.
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