Construction work on the long awaited Daducha Dam now proposed to be renamed Barwala Dam has entered an active phase as the reservoir site falls within Barwala village. While the project is widely acknowledged as critical for water storage and flood control the human cost of displacement has sparked growing anger and distress among local residents.
Families from Barwala and nearby settlements facing eviction have appealed to the Punjab government to prevent the breakup of their clans and community networks. Residents argue that compensation paid for acquired residential and agricultural land falls far below current market rates making relocation nearly impossible. They have urged authorities to provide adequate financial support and land for rebuilding homes.
On ground conditions paint a grim picture as houses are being dismantled one by one leaving piles of debris across the village. Many homeowners are demolishing homes they built with lifelong savings including earnings from overseas employment. The area resembles a disaster zone with once modern houses reduced to rubble.
Affected residents say the compensation process has been deeply unjust. Several homeowners report receiving a fraction of their actual investment value with extremely short deadlines to vacate. Farmers have also lost standing crops ancestral land and dairy farms with payments insufficient to buy replacement land nearby.
Community elders stress that no one opposes the dam itself but demand a humane resettlement plan. They have called for the establishment of a new Barwala colony where displaced families can live together with access to basic amenities including schools healthcare gas and roads. Without this they fear permanent dispersal and long term poverty.
Social activists and local representatives have urged the government to follow the resettlement models used for Mangla and Khanpur dams by allocating substitute land and reconstruction support. They warn that rising rents and land prices in surrounding areas are rapidly eroding compensation amounts.
Students and families are also facing social disruption with education severely affected. During a recent visit Senator Mushtaq Ahmed echoed residents demands and appealed to Chief Minister Punjab to immediately allocate land for a planned New Barwala settlement to safeguard livelihoods dignity and community cohesion.
