The long dispute between the administration and the affected parties over the acquisition of land for the under-construction Dadocha dam, located about 25 kilometers from Rawalpindi city, came to an end through the use of force.
Acting with the support of paramilitary forces and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), the administration managed to clear the land by deploying bulldozers and issuing threats.
As a result, 285 houses, cattle sheds and shops were demolished in the affected villages of Bharwala and Khanpur.
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Most of those affected dismantled their structures themselves after giving up under pressure, despite having received no compensation for their land, while several buildings were razed to the ground by government bulldozers.
These families, who had lived in the area for almost 300 years, have now begun to migrate.
The settlements currently present a scene of devastation, reduced to piles of rubble. Those affected are busy securing their livestock, belongings and children, while the administration clears the debris from the site.
The Dadocha Dam project was approved in 2005 during the tenure of former Prime Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, with an initial cost of Rs 5 billion.
The cost of the project has now increased to Rs 17 billion. The new completion date was set as December 31, 2027, reflecting a two-year extension.
A total of 16,194 kanals and 14 marlas of land have been acquired for the dam. Compensation of between Rs 15,000 and Rs 17,000 per marla was announced, but only five percent of politically influential people reportedly received payments, while the remaining affected people were promised compensation in February.
Despite this, the land was vacated without payment.
Once completed, the dam will supply 35 million gallons of water per day to Rawalpindi and will have a storage capacity of 60,000 acre-feet.
Four villages have been completely devastated and seven have been partially affected.
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Affected residents, including Qazi Rab Nawaz, Ajmal Jamshed and local elders, stated that they do not oppose the dam, but demand justice, including compensation for land at market price, payment for old trees and provision of alternative land.
They alleged that they were forced to surrender through police, CTD and paramilitary pressure.
They further said that they own two parcels of ancestral land measuring 82 kanals and 53 kanals at some distance.
A large housing society has forcibly occupied the 82 kanal land, while some affected people have started settling in the 53 kanal land, which is located in a remote area with a badly damaged dirt road.
They urged the government to immediately pave the road as a gesture of goodwill.
Those affected announced that they would go to court again, claiming that Supreme Court and High Court orders regarding compensation were ignored. The final phase of clearing the land for the dam has already been completed. Regular construction work will resume in the last week of January and between January 20 and 25, all the necessary land will be handed over to the Small Dams Organization.
