Manchora dam: Land owners to get compensation soon: official

MANSEHRA: An official said on Friday that the district administration had completed the cost estimate survey of the land being acquired for the multi-purpose Manchora dam in Oghi and the land owners would be given compensation soon.

The dam is being built in Oghi with an estimated cost of over Rs1 billion. “We have submitted an exact estimated cost of the land being acquired for the canal and dam separately. And if the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Irrigation Department releases the land compensation money to owners, the hurdles in its execution would accordingly be addressed,” Deputy Commissioner Dr Qasim Ali Khan told reporters here.

The landowners had forcibly suspended the execution of the irrigation-cum-power project last month, seeking the release of their land compensation money. Dr Qasim said that the survey of the land was completed within a record two months period as the Revenue Department officials visited and finalised the estimated cost of the land.

The deputy commissioner said that the estimated cost was based on built-up property, land and trees of various kinds on the acquired land for canals. “We have estimated Rs180 million for land acquired for the canal and Rs960 million for the dam,” Dr Qasim said.

Alamzeb Khan, the chairman of the action committee of the families affected by the Manchora dam, said that work on the dam was suspended some three weeks ago as the government didn’t release the payments. “We would not allow the execution of the dam until the Irrigation Department revises its PC-1 and releases our compensation money,” he added.