CHITRAL-Berbulak people complained that they have not been paid for the land acquired by the government for the establishment of the Golain Hydropower House of 106 megawatt that is likely to be completed at the end of the current month.
They said the Wapda contractor was carrying its transmission line through agricultural land and cutting green trees at Berbulak after deforestation at Broze. The owners of these forest and agricultural land alleged while talking to local media that Wapda was not paying them for their trees and agricultural land occupying under transmission line.
The Golain Hydropower House of 106 megawatt is likely to be completed at the end of the current month. Workers are carrying its transmission line through agricultural land and cutting green trees at Berbulak after deforestation at Broze. The owners of these forest and agricultural land alleged while talking to local media that Wapda was not paying them for their trees and agricultural land occupying under transmission line.
Residents including Khisrul Mulk and Fayazul Mulk said that barren land, desert area and mountains are also available for transmission line but the Wapda contractor wasdeliberately carrying transmission line through agriculture land and fixed heavy towers in on the land only to save the money for his own pocket.
They said that on one hand, the provincial government claimed 1 billion plantations but on the other hand Wapda was cutting more than 5,000 trees some of these trees are 100 years old and they are national heritage. However, the contractor was saving his money and carrying line in our land causing for deforestation at a large scale, they said.
They said that the affected people were given very less amount only for that piece where Wapda erects a pole but they cut trees under the transmission line between these towers and they not compensate them for that loss.
Fida said that he protested against Wapda contractor for damaging their agricultural and forest as a result he became angry and deliberately fixed 3 towers in his land within very less distance as compare to other poles having long distance. As a result, his whole land was disturbed and now I cannot be cultivated, he added.
In this connection, Inspector General of Forest Syed Mahmood Nasir was also contacted who assured for deputing a forest officer to probe the deforestation. Project Director of Golain Power Project Eng Javed Afridi on behalf of Wapda said, "We assessed before cutting the trees and paid them as forest rules through deputy commissioner account." But the affected denied that they were given a less amount only for that piece of land where Wapda tower was fixed, and the land between these towers under transmission line and trees cutting for this purpose they were not compensated.
Former Sub Divisional Forest officer of Wild Life Inayatul Mulk told local journalists that the forest and trees were habitant of rare birds where they make nests and breeding and increase their generation but now these birds are also homeless and badly disturbed after cutting of these trees.
The affected people of Bebulak appeal to the chief justice of Pakistan and the prime minister for taking action in this regard and to compensate them for their land and trees.