HARIPUR, July 24: Federal parliamentary secretary finance MNA Omar Ayub Khan has said that the proposed small dams projects on River Dor in district Abbottabad would affect the agro-based economy of district Haripur and render scores of unskilled manpower jobless besides creating worst kind of water scarcity in the entire district.

The district government Abbottabad had, last year, proposed building of two small dams at Rajoya and Harno on the River Dor which would be financed under a tripartite agreement of JICA, provincial and district governments with joint financial contribution from all the three parties on agreed formula of share of amount. It has been reported that initial feasibility has also been prepared.

Mr Omar Ayub told Dawn by phone from Islamabad that 70 per cent of the total arable land of district Haripur was being irrigated by the water of River Dor for centuries in all the season and Haripur was biggest seasonal, off seasonal vegetable and fruit producing district in Hazara division, so the accumulation of water for dam projects would not only ruin the entire agriculture system of Haripur but also render scores of unskilled agro workers, who were attached with the professions of tilling, sowing, weeding, watering, and harvesting, unemployed.

Besides, he apprehended, Haripur would experience a worst kind of water shortage and its fertility would be ruined as the subsoil water-table would also considerably shrink once the release of water in river was either reduced or stopped abruptly.

He said since a considerable majority of local population was dependent on agriculture the new dams would affect over 100,000 people directly depriving them of their right of livelihood.

He said the River Dor, one of the three major tributaries of Tarbela Lake, was already flowing down with only 60 cusecs of water while district Haripur required 200 cusecs daily.

He also criticized the district government for allegedly issuing NOC to district government Abbottabad in this regard and accused the district nazim of compromising the interests of the people of Haripur.

He vowed to block funding for the projects, and added that he would not like to become a silent spectator over such a serious matter of socio-economic life and future of his constituents.

To a question Mr Omar said he had written to provincial government, federal finance secretary and the donor agency JICA about the apprehension of his people pertaining to the proposed projects.

NAZIM: When contacted for comments, the district nazim Haripur, Dr Raja Amer Zaman Khan, denied having issued any NOC to the district government of Abbottabad and expressed his resolve not to compromise on this issue.

He said the right of Haripur being the lower riparian on River Dor were also guaranteed by the Constitution of 1973 which would be protected at every cost.

Recalling the miseries of affected communities of Khanpur and Tarbela dams, Raja Amer said he was aware of the predicaments of those who rendered sacrifices of their precious lands and graves of ancestors. "So, I would fight to the last for securing the guarantees for the rights of the people," he vowed, and brushed aside the impression that he had issued any NOC in this regard.

He termed it a ploy to malign the district government by his political detractors. Mr Amer told Dawn that he had already ordered a probe into the matter of issuance of a fake NOC without carrying his signature or his office's dispatch number.