IT has almost been more than a decade since the Mirani Dam, a mega project, was launched by the federal government in Balochistan. The dam was built on the confluence of the Neheng and the Kech river, known as the Dasht River.

The main purpose behind the construction of Mirani dam is to bolster the economy of the area by irrigating about 30,000 acres of agriculture land in the Dasht region.

Unfortunately, in June 2007, when cyclone Yemyin hit the coast of Balochistan, it caused unprecedented damage to the area, particularly those of three union councils of Kech district. Backwater caused by the dam badly led to the submergence of the three union councils and left more than 50,000 people homeless within 24 hours.

The massive flood smashed 30,000 acres of agriculture land, while thousands of date palms and other trees fell to the ground. Although in 2015, the then finance minister Ishaq Dar had approved a compensation package for the affectees. Months before, the previous deputy commissioner, Kech district, Capt Sarmad Saleem, finalised lists of a genuinely estimated figures. But before he could make the compensation available, he was transferred. Since then, the compensation process remained at a standstill.

The Mirani dam compensation issue deserves sympathetic consideration. The newly-elected chief minister, Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, should ensure immediate payment of the compensation to the dam affectees.

An affectee

Turbat

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2018