HARIPUR, Aug 6: Criticizing the proposed Baran Gali dam project on Dor river in Abbottabad, the councillors belonging to the district and tehsil councils of Haripur have said the project would ruin the agriculture sector in the district.

The proposed dam, according to sources, would be constructed near Orish Baran Gali, some 25km from the district headquarters.

According to officials of the Haripur Irrigation Department, over two dozen villages of the district were irrigated by the river, including Akhoon Di Bandi, Changi Bandi, Mohri, Kholian, Sera-i-Saleh, Gar, Pandak, Mankraye, Makhan, Dobandi, Jogi Mohra, Pharhala, Qazia, Shah Mohammad, Ali Khan Taloka, Gehr Khan and a number of others.

The dam project was approved by the provincial government following demands by the district government of Abbottabad which claimed that it was facing shortage of water. The construction work is expected to be executed from the current fiscal year.

The district council in its last session had also adopted a resolution in this regard and asked the provincial government to review its decision.

“It’s a conspiracy to dislodge the people of Haripur from their lands by turning them into barren areas through this decision,” said Eidun Nisa, an opposition member in the district council, while talking to Dawn.

She said people of Haripur had always suffered whether it was the matter of Tarbela Dam, Khanpur dam or the Ghazi Barotha power project they were the ones who were asked to sacrifice their valuables lands.

However, in return the people were betrayed by the rulers every time, while the benefits were reaped by others, she added. “But this time round the people of Haripur will not make sacrifices for others,” she said.

Gul Ambrin Minhas, another opposition member in the tehsil council, said if the dam was constructed upstream river Dor the district would turn into an arid zone.