Manchar Lake, considered to be the largest natural freshwater lake in Pakistan, located west of the Indus River in Jamshoro and Dadu Districts, some 18 km away from Sehwan Sharif, is now facing paucity of water leaving the fishermen in a state of limbo.
The shortage of water also leaves behind loads of dead fish, snatching away the only source of income for the local fishermen.
Locals said that native villagers who live around the lake, now migrating from the area as sufficient water is not available in the lake posing serious challenges to fishermen who depend on the freshwater fish in the lake.
It is pertinent to note that Manchar Lake collects water from numerous small streams in the Kirthar Mountains, and then empties into the Indus River and lake’s surface area fluctuates with the seasons – from as little as 36 km², to as much as 500 km² during monsoon rains.—INP
