HARIPUR: The Khanpur dam administration and tehsil authorities have jointly sealed the entry points to the reservoir, suspending picnic activities for an indefinite period.

This decision follows an attempt to install new jetties and ongoing tension between the rival groups of boat owners, police and dam officials said here on Sunday.

The decision was made as a preventative measure to maintain peace because, according to police and dam sources, some unapproved owners were planning to install jetties in spite of the ban, and members of rival boat associations were determined to cause chaos.

Khanpur police said that the members of rival boat owners’ associations had been fighting over installing jetties and operating boats on multiple occasions in recent days. Some of them were hurt in the frequent altercations, and both parties had lodged complaints with the police for legal action.

Khanpur dam authorities informed the district administration that despite a ban on registration of new jetties since 2023, the Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) had continued to issue new licences to applicants.

Sources said that Khanpur dam executive engineer and the assistant commissioner jointly sealed the three entry points of the reservoir, banning the entry of boat owners and picnickers for an indefinite period.

It may be added that a court battle was also going on between the Khanpur dam administration and the TMA authorities over the tax collection from the reservoir as the municipal administration was officially collecting parking fee and taxes from the jetty owners and the picnickers for the last four years.

The dam administration had written to the commissioner Hazara division in the past, declaring the collection of taxes by TMA from the reservoir was against the regulations.

The dam administration also asked the district administration to stop issuing new licences to the jetty owners and deposit the collected taxes in the official bank account of the administration of the Khanpur dam.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2024