QUETTA: People affected from the Mirani Dam are yet to get full compensation and they are agitating for their right by knocking the door of influential government officials. A delegation of effected people is currently visiting the provincial capital trying to meet the Chief Minister, the Chief Secretary and other concerned authorities to demand adequate compensation as their land and property were devastated with the construction of dam.The displaced people told The Baloch Hal that the government had agreed to compensate to the people up to the sea level of 264 feet above. It was agreed in principle and still thousands of them from that level were denied compensation blaming red tape and massive corruption in the political set-up and also in the administration. However, the massive floods and torrential rains during two major cyclones that devastated the catchment areas of mighty rivers of Kech and Nihing with a total discharge of over 700,000 of flood water in the downstream.
The dam was full during the crisis and it was about to bust its banks if the spill way of the dam was not opened in time. The dam stored water beyond its capacity and virtually submerged a vast area in the upstream leaving aside the devastating effects on the downstream. The affected people argued that the Government, including the so-called experts had ignored and left them at the mercy of the nature inundating their farms, orchards, homes and other property with the rise of the subsoil water in the upstream to the level of 271 feet above sea level.AThey appealed to the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary to help them in overcoming the crisis as they had lost their means of livelihood as a result of the dam. Earlier, a Provincial Minister was made in-charge of the distributing funds among the affected people under the PML-Q Government of Jam Yusuf. There were allegation of corruption, embezzlement of funds and favouritism to appease his political constituents and denying the legitimate people their rights to be compensated. At one stage, the security officials came to their help and distributed relief goods among the needy who too suffered as a result of the Mirani Dam followed by torrential rains and cyclones in Kech Valley and the coastal region of Balochistan – Thebalochha
