Khanpur Dam, along with Lake Khanpur, is located on the Kharo River near the village of Khanpur in Kharipur district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. It is located about 40 miles (40 kilometers) from the capital of Islamabad, Pakistan. The dam is an important source of water for the cities of Taxila, Wah, Haripur and Islamabad. It satisfies the needs of water for industrial and agricultural purposes in these cities.
Lake Khanpur and the dam are very important tourist attractions. Thousands of tourists come here every month, especially in summer, to enjoy pedals, motor boats, swimming, fishing and diving. Getting to the Hanpur Dam is easy. When he arrives from Rawalpindi just before Taxila crosses the road, he heads to the right and leads to the Khanpur Dam after 15-20 minutes. Famous historical sites of the Gandhara civilization. Yaulyan, Sirkap and Taxila. Gandhara Museum. Civilization is also coming to the Khanpur dam.
Completed in 1983, a height of 48 meters (167 feet) of the Khanpur dam can store up to 110,000 acres of water. The nearby Khanpur Lake is the place for the annual sporting tour of the sea and air sport company Sarhad Tourism Corporation. The event is held every year from April 9 to April 11.
Lake Khanpur and the dam were built in the early 80s when Ayub Khan was the president of Pakistan. For the most part, the flesh itself was considered the political step of Ayub Khan in order to align political points with the official chief of the Gahar Raja Eri Zaman.
During the time of the British government in the nineteenth century, the ancestors of the local Gahar Rajput received most of the land from the local area. Gahar Rajpuots were rewarded with this land for their help in the battle with the Sikhs, but on the other hand, Avvas and many other farmers from the local area were displaced from their lands because of their registration. The local Gahar Rajpoats wanted compensation for all their land when Ayub Khan decided to build the Khanpur Dam. This led to the fact that all local residents lost their land. Residents as a result wanted to alternate their land near Khanpur or monetary compensation.
At that time in 1970, the young secretary of the University of Hanpur, WAPDA, decided to help the local people find justice. His name was Abdul Bashir Khan. He led local residents and took them to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa area (at the time he was called the Northwest Frontier Post) to protest against Gahar. Most of the local community joined him, because they have nothing but their land. After that, Abdul Bashir-Khan and his colleagues took the case to the home of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor. He and his friends did not leave Peshawar before winning land for the people of Khanpur.
Today, the Hanpur Dam and Lake Khanpur have become a very popular attraction for the residents of Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Taxila, Waha and Hassan Abdal. Tourists and families from all of these areas come to the lake and enjoy boating and picnicking here. An adventure club has also been created here that enhances the charm of this place.
