KARACHI, Feb. 15: Six lawmakers belonging to the Hindu community have opposed construction of Hangol dam saying it will partially submerge a place of pilgrimage and affect the Hinglaj yatra.

The MNAs — Ramesh Lal and Lal Chand of the PPP, Manwer Lal of MQM, Kishin Chand Parwani of PML-Q and Dr Darshan Punshi of PML-N, and Sindh assembly member Ram Singh Sodho of PML-Q told Dawn after a visit to Hinglaj Devi, located in the Hingol National Park in Balochistan, that the government should shift the site of the dam to some other place so that it did not pose any threat to the religious place visited by thousands of pilgrims from the country and abroad.

Wapda plans to construct the dam at a place, about one kilometre from the Hingol river bridge on the Makran Coastal Highway, to store over 2.1 million acres feet of water to irrigate over 90,000 acres of land and generate about 735 KW electricity.

According to a Wapda study, the main dam’s crest level is 170 feet average sea level, (ASL) while the normal reservoir level is 145 ft ASL and the high flood level is at 168 ft ASL. At least three religious places related to the Hinglaj yatra -- Ganesh Pooja at 85 ft ASL, Hanuman Pooja at 125 ft ASL and Kali Mata temple at 139 ft ASL -- will be submerged in the proposed reservoir and the Hinglaj temple at 176 ft ASL will be around eight feet above the high flood level. The report proposes relocation of the holy places in consultation with the Hindu community.

The Wapda study suggests three options. Under the first option, which the authority favours, three holy places will be relocated to higher elevation and a new access road will be built. The dam will cost Rs16.32 billion.

The second option is to construct a 70 ft high and 350 ft long dyke to protect two places and relocate the third one above the reservoir level. That will raise the cost by Rs800 million for the dyke and continuous pumping required to drain out accumulated rain water.

The third option is to build a 120 ft high and 2100 ft long dyke which will increase the cost by Rs1.8 billion. Besides, continuous draining of rain water from behind the dyke will be required and there will be greater danger of submersion of the holy places and threat to lives of pilgrims in the event of heavy rain.

The chief organiser of Shri Hinglaj Shewa Mandli, Versimal K. Dewani, has rejected the proposal of shifting of any of the holy places and said that these were not like common temples, which could be shifted or relocated in public interest. This is a site of pilgrimage which is place specific.

PML-Q legislator Kishin Chand Parwani said he had raised the issue in the National Assembly after which the government directed Wapda to give an on-site briefing to minority MNAs.

A few days later, Wapda invited four MNAs, but not him (Mr Parwani) to a briefing. As a result, the four MNAs refused to attend the briefing.

PPP MNAs Ramesh Lal and Lal Chand said they had raised the issue with the prime minister who asked them to visit the site and he would take a decision on the basis of their recommendations. After visiting the site, they said, their report to the prime minister would seek relocation of the dam so that the holy places or the pilgrims coming to the places were not affected.

MNA Dr Darshan Punsi of the PML-N said that although he belonged to the opposition, he would support his MNA colleagues and demand that the site of the dam be changed.

MNA Manwer Lal of MQM said that after visiting the site and going through the Wapda report he was of the opinion that places of pilgrimage could not be shifted and, therefore, if the dam had to be built its site must be changed.

Hinglaj is an important religious place of the Hindu community and is recognised as such by the government which issues visa to yatrees from India and other countries for pilgrimage. Former Indian foreign minister Jaswant Singh was one of the dignitaries who had come with a delegation for the Hinglaj yatra. Munabao-Khokarapar (Zero Point) border was especially opened a few days before its official opening for the delegation.