Manchar Lake: A Forgotten Dream of Prosperity
Machar Lake is vast, picturesque, and has an enduring legacy. However, it also has a darker side: it is a low-income area. Poverty and unemployment are rampant; people lack stable livelihoods, children have no proper schools, there are no quality healthcare facilities, and access to clean water and safe shelter remains a rather distant hope.
Life begins at dawn, and activities tend to fade with sunset. By the dim flicker of lamps in their boats, mothers tell stories to their children until exhaustion puts them to sleep. Only the elderly can truly recall what prosperity once looked like when Manchar's waters were fresh, when the meeting of river and lake brought an abundance of bounties. The environmental degradation of Manchar Lake just cannot be overlooked!
Environmental Field Report: Environmental Degradation of Manchar Lake, Pakistan
On 8th March, 2026, the BASIC DF team visited the town of Bobak to understand the social and economic conditions of communities living along the Manchar Lake. From a distance, the lake appeared full, with boats scattered across its surface. Yet the market lacked the expected buzz. Inside the market hall, only small quantities of fish were available, revealing the scale of poverty and unemployment. The impact of water pollution on fishing communities is appalling. These fishing communities have inherited this vast freshwater lake for generations, yet their rights to it seem no longer recognized.
Instead of ensuring fair water distribution and restoring the lake, wastewater is being diverted into it through drainage schemes. This has severely damaged the ecosystem. Fish populations are declining, and aquatic plants such as reeds and grasses, once essential for fish breeding, bird habitats, and local livelihoods, have withered away. In the past, skilled women used these materials to make mats and other items to support their families, but with raw materials no longer available, many have been forced to find alternative means of survival.
As we sat along the embankment, looking over the vast lake, we silently prayed for the revival of this great sustainer of life. Perhaps those who migrated in search of work will return to reclaim the lake and its past glory. Carrying some hope, we moved toward Garkano village.
Garkano, a settlement of around 200 households, lies along the lake's embankment. Most homes are modest, built from reeds and thin wood. An elder, Sadiq Mallah, shared that many residents have migrated to coastal areas of Karachi, Baluchistan, and beyond in search of work. Some return occasionally, but many families have permanently relocated to other regions owing to the impact of water pollution on fishing communities.
Recalling better times, Sadiq explained that there was a time when fish were abundant, and residents lived prosperously. The community, traditionally living on islands within the lake, has now been pushed to its edges. These people, once deeply connected to the water, now feel displaced and abandoned. Their way of life, once in harmony with natural cycles, is now severely threatened.
Today, the village is irregularly stretched along the embankment, with no formal land ownership. Residents are caught between the lake, the embankment, and stagnant water below. This stagnant water, caused by damaged irrigation channels, has led to mosquito infestations, disease, and unimaginable hardship. There are no schools in nearby villages, and even where buildings exist, teachers and facilities are absent. Healthcare services are also nonexistent, leaving people vulnerable in emergencies.
Life on the lake once had its own rhythm. Floating boat villages moved across the vast waters, where families lived, worked, cooked, and lived in harmony together. Fishing, daily routines, and social life all centered around the lake. In the evenings, boats would gather, forming temporary villages buzzing with life. At dawn, they would disperse again, each heading out to fish and sustain their livelihoods.
Now, life has come to a standstill. Fish are scarce, and polluted waters have replaced the once-thriving ecosystem. Younger generations leave early in search of work, returning only briefly. As a result, only a few remain who can fully express the depth of these challenges.
The people living around Manchar Lake have been its guardians for generations. This lake is their world, and they have the greatest stake in its future. Any policies or plans concerning the lake must involve local communities, especially the elders, so that their knowledge and needs guide decisions and ensure a safer future for coming generations.
From Garkano, we visited another nearby settlement, Koor Miani, where we discussed education and basic services with residents. By chance, a wedding meal was being prepared, and we were warmly invited to share it. As we sat together, the conversation blended with the simple joy of food. Later, we left along the same paths, carrying with us the powerful images of Manchar scenes that lingered long after the lake itself had disappeared from view. We moved on with an uneasy feeling, hoping that one day life would return to normal and the old fishing communities of the lake would start singing the songs of their elders, celebrating fresh water, fish, and the eternal rhythm of a life that feels a little disrupted at the moment.