Thursday, November 05, 2009
By our correspondent
Karachi
Few birds could be seen along the 24-kilometer-long major Baqar Lake, now turned into Chotiari Reservoir, district Sanghar. There were scattered flocks of a few species, which the local people said were indigenous.
The lake, which touches three districts (Sanghar, Nawabshah and Khairpur) and a wide desert area called Achhro Thar (white desert), has now lost its beauty. Once home to many rare and beautiful species, including the indigenous babbler and the red-crested, it now looks bare.
The exposure visit to the Chotiari Reservoir organised by the Indus for All Programme showed that the vegetation has been destroyed by releasing more water into the reservoir two years ago. This vegetation used to attract thousands of migratory birds, which would to visit the area.
Moreover, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) assessment, 660 species of birds are found in Pakistan; 30 per cent of them visit the country for a significant period, while 43 per cent come only for breeding. —JK
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ISSN 1563-9479 
