The Request states that the Requesters are adversely impacted by a 765 kV transmission line passing through their ancestral farmlands in the Tanda area of Punjab, Pakistan. The transmission line is being built under the Bank-financed Dasu Hydropower Stage I Project (P121507). According to the Request, the Project is causing significant and long term harm to the Requesters, their families, as well as several other families in their community.
The Request alleges that the compensation offered for the land acquired by the Project is inadequate. It states that the restrictions associated with the transmission line’s Right of Way corridor prohibit the construction of any buildings or structures and limits tree height to 2.5 meters. These restrictions have reportedly resulted in an estimated 80% devaluation of the land and have foreclosed the families' development plans to build homes and a dairy farm. The Request also raises serious safety concerns, including to children, regarding the proximity of the high-voltage transmission line to residential areas, farmland, and commercial properties. Additionally, the Request raises concerns about the adequacy of consultations conducted during Project preparation and the disclosure of Project related information including in connection with the preparation and disclosure of the Resettlement Action Plan.
The Panel is currently reviewing the admissibility of the Request in accordance with its mandate and Operating Procedures.
