Hanna Lake

Hanna Lake was built in 1894 by the British administration as a water supply for Quetta, damming a valley in the bare hills east of the city, and it has been the town's favourite outing ever since. The setting is stark, with grey and ochre slopes rising directly from the water and no vegetation beyond the planted trees at the shore, and the colour of the lake against that backdrop is what draws people: greenish-gold in strong light, darker under cloud. Boats and pedalos work the water, there is a small island reached by boat, and stalls sell tea, corn and the dried fruit that Balochistan is known for. The Urak valley continues beyond the lake into orchard country, attractive in blossom season. Water levels have fluctuated severely with drought years, and the lake has run nearly dry more than once.

History

In 1894 the small Surrpull, or Red Bridge, dam was built on the Urak road to control flooding and divert the snowmelt and rain streams from the Zarghoon and Murdar mountains into the lake, which covered 818 acres and was 15 metres deep. A flood in 1973 broke the recharge canal from the Murdar mountains, and the dam, filled with mud and stones in May 2016, was desilted in February 2019 (Wikipedia, Hanna Lake).

The landscape

• The reservoir - golden-green water against bare grey hills.
• The island - a small rock island reached by boat.
• Boating - pedalos and rowing boats from the shore.
• Urak valley orchards - fruit country continuing beyond the lake.

When to go

March to October, with spring best when the Urak orchards blossom. The lake is at its fullest after winter rains and can be badly depleted by late summer in a dry year. Weekends and holidays bring crowds from Quetta.

Good to know

In drought years the lake shrinks dramatically and can be a mudflat, which visitors do not expect. Facilities are basic stalls and the shore gets littered on busy days. There is no shade. Travel arrangements around Quetta should be checked locally before setting out.

Nearby

Quetta is fifteen minutes west; Ziarat and the juniper forest lie northeast.

Key facts