Manchar Lake

Manchar spreads over a large and highly variable area west of the Indus, fed by hill torrents and by canal water, and its size changes dramatically between seasons and years. Its distinction is human: the Mohana, sometimes called the boat people of Sindh, have lived on and around the lake for generations in wooden houseboats, fishing, keeping ducks and moving with the water, with a culture built entirely around the lake. That way of life has been under severe strain: pollution from drainage schemes carrying saline and industrial water into the lake damaged the fishery badly, fish stocks fell, and many families left for the shore or for cities. Birdlife remains significant in winter when migratory waterfowl arrive. Visiting means going out with a local boatman from the bund, and the experience is as much about meeting the community as about the water.

History

Harappan sites such as Lal Chatto, Mashak Lohri and Lakhiyo lie along the shore, among the oldest in the area. The lake formed when a branch of the Indus flowed from Kashmore; in 1921 it was linked to Hamal Lake by the Main Nara Valley Drain, and in the drought of 1958 it dried out completely. Its surface swings from as little as 36 to as much as 500 square kilometres in the monsoon (Wikipedia, Lake Manchar).

The landscape

• Houseboat communities - Mohana families living on the water.
• Fishing practice - nets, traps and trained ducks used on the lake.
• Wintering waterbirds - migratory ducks and waders in the cold months.
• The open lake - a vast shallow sheet with variable margins.

When to go

November to February, when the weather is bearable and the birds are present. Water levels vary greatly, and in dry years the lake shrinks and the boat routes change. Local arrangements are needed for boats; there is no scheduled service.

Good to know

Pollution has damaged the lake and the community that depends on it, and the visit can be a sobering rather than a scenic one. Facilities are nonexistent, boats are basic, and negotiation is required for everything. Visitors should behave as guests rather than photographing families as spectacle.

Nearby

Sehwan Sharif is east; Kirthar National Park lies west in the hills.

Key facts