Chotiari threatened by water reservoir
November 12, 2009
LAHORE
ONE of the most diverse wetland sites in the country, Chotiari lakes, has been turned into a big water reservoir, posing a serious threat to the environment of the area besides causing extinction of several local animal and bird species.
In the past, the Chotiari lakes area was characterised by wetlands, riverine forests, desert scrubs and sand dunes, which provided an ecological richness, and was considered a haven for migratory birds, hog-deer, local species of crocodile, and a variety of fish species. These lakes also supported grazing, fishing and agricultural activities of indigenous people but after the construction of reservoir, the area lost its natural beauty and features.
Spreading over an area of around 1,800 hectares, Chotiari is situated in the Thar Desert around 30-35 km northwest of District Sanghar in Sindh. The aim of constructing the reservoir was to provide water for irrigation purposes to the tail end areas of Nara Canal, i.e. Omer Kot, Mirpurkhas and Sanghar districts.
Presently, the presence of plenty of water has turned the once fertile agricultural land on its western and southern banks into waterlogged and uncultivable areas. Over 35 settlements, especially the one on the sand dunes within the reservoir area which were housing fishermen, have submerged under five to 30 feet water, ruining the existing rangelands and resulting in the loss of biodiversity and fodder for livestock that has been a major livelihood source for people of the area.
Owing to the rising water and associated salinity of the non-cropped areas, fallow land is decreasing while abandoned land is increasing. As a result, farmers are forced to intensify cropping on their best land.
Increased water supplies initially increased the cropped area but at the expense of decreasing the non-cropped area, which reduced the dry drainage effect and allowed the water table to rise. Some areas have already reached a point where pockets of cultivated land are surviving because they are surrounded by a saline waste.
Widespread deforestation for agriculture expansion and to meet growing demand of firewood in the nearby Sanghar city and indiscriminate use of pesticides on agricultural crops have also been a threat to the flora and fauna of the area.
The reservoir has also disturbed the habitat of the unique wildlife species found in the area, especially marsh crocodile. Two important species, the gavial and the smooth coated otter, are on the verge of extinction. Hog deer is another endangered species of the area - degradation and shrinkage of its habitat is one of the main reasons for the decline in the hog deer population.
Majority of the residents of the nearby localities of the reservoir are followers of Pir Sahib of Pagaro - the spiritual guide of Hurs who had revolted against the colonial rulers - and are not happy with the construction of the reservoir. Some of them were those who have lost their land and still running from pillar to post to get the promised compensation.
They say that the long and high embankments and dykes built to convert different lakes into a single reservoir has disturbed the natural flow of water into the lakes and spoiled the water quality in some of the lakes.
An uneven supply of water into the reservoir has not been instrumental in increasing the production of fish in the area. When the water level goes down, the fish production also declines. There has been decreased fish catch due to the loss of flora in the reservoir, which has had a significant impact on the livelihood of the fishermen.
The biological diversity of the area has drawn the attention of WWF-Pakistan, which has launched a special programme for the rehabilitation of the natural beauty of the area under its Indus for All programme. Environmental experts of the WWF say that richness of biodiversity of the area is especially prominent in birds, small mammals and reptiles/amphibians with 80 bird, 26 small mammal and 31 reptile and amphibian species.
Due to this project, families living in the area for many generations have been forced to vacate their land and traditional way of life in the name of progress. Herdsmen who for generations used the lakes fringes as pastures had moved away in search of grazing sites, resulting in increasing grazing pressure on other areas.
Fishing communities harmonised with the ecology of the lakes were stranded on the shores of the vast reservoir. With substantial increase in water level of the lakes, several grass and tree species were drowned, which have changed the natural eco-system forever.
In the past, Pakistan Network for Rivers, Dams and People (PNRDP) Sindh also raised serious objections over the construction of the reservoir under an independent study carried out in 1998. They said the Chotiari Reservoir Project was designed to increase the storage capacity of lakes in district Sanghar in order to increase the irrigation discharge for agriculture in Umarkot district. They said the reservoir had flooded an area of approximately 100 square miles besides submerging over 40 villages and some 45,000 acres of cultivated or grazing land.
ONE of the most diverse wetland sites in the country, Chotiari lakes, has been turned into a big water reservoir, posing a serious threat to the environment of the area besides causing extinction of several local animal and bird species.
In the past, the Chotiari lakes area was characterised by wetlands, riverine forests, desert scrubs and sand dunes, which provided an ecological richness, and was considered a haven for migratory birds, hog-deer, local species of crocodile, and a variety of fish species. These lakes also supported grazing, fishing and agricultural activities of indigenous people but after the construction of reservoir, the area lost its natural beauty and features.
Spreading over an area of around 1,800 hectares, Chotiari is situated in the Thar Desert around 30-35 km northwest of District Sanghar in Sindh. The aim of constructing the reservoir was to provide water for irrigation purposes to the tail end areas of Nara Canal, i.e. Omer Kot, Mirpurkhas and Sanghar districts.
Presently, the presence of plenty of water has turned the once fertile agricultural land on its western and southern banks into waterlogged and uncultivable areas. Over 35 settlements, especially the one on the sand dunes within the reservoir area which were housing fishermen, have submerged under five to 30 feet water, ruining the existing rangelands and resulting in the loss of biodiversity and fodder for livestock that has been a major livelihood source for people of the area.
Owing to the rising water and associated salinity of the non-cropped areas, fallow land is decreasing while abandoned land is increasing. As a result, farmers are forced to intensify cropping on their best land.
Increased water supplies initially increased the cropped area but at the expense of decreasing the non-cropped area, which reduced the dry drainage effect and allowed the water table to rise. Some areas have already reached a point where pockets of cultivated land are surviving because they are surrounded by a saline waste.
Widespread deforestation for agriculture expansion and to meet growing demand of firewood in the nearby Sanghar city and indiscriminate use of pesticides on agricultural crops have also been a threat to the flora and fauna of the area.
The reservoir has also disturbed the habitat of the unique wildlife species found in the area, especially marsh crocodile. Two important species, the gavial and the smooth coated otter, are on the verge of extinction. Hog deer is another endangered species of the area - degradation and shrinkage of its habitat is one of the main reasons for the decline in the hog deer population.
Majority of the residents of the nearby localities of the reservoir are followers of Pir Sahib of Pagaro - the spiritual guide of Hurs who had revolted against the colonial rulers - and are not happy with the construction of the reservoir. Some of them were those who have lost their land and still running from pillar to post to get the promised compensation.
They say that the long and high embankments and dykes built to convert different lakes into a single reservoir has disturbed the natural flow of water into the lakes and spoiled the water quality in some of the lakes.
An uneven supply of water into the reservoir has not been instrumental in increasing the production of fish in the area. When the water level goes down, the fish production also declines. There has been decreased fish catch due to the loss of flora in the reservoir, which has had a significant impact on the livelihood of the fishermen.
The biological diversity of the area has drawn the attention of WWF-Pakistan, which has launched a special programme for the rehabilitation of the natural beauty of the area under its Indus for All programme. Environmental experts of the WWF say that richness of biodiversity of the area is especially prominent in birds, small mammals and reptiles/amphibians with 80 bird, 26 small mammal and 31 reptile and amphibian species.
Due to this project, families living in the area for many generations have been forced to vacate their land and traditional way of life in the name of progress. Herdsmen who for generations used the lakes fringes as pastures had moved away in search of grazing sites, resulting in increasing grazing pressure on other areas.
Fishing communities harmonised with the ecology of the lakes were stranded on the shores of the vast reservoir. With substantial increase in water level of the lakes, several grass and tree species were drowned, which have changed the natural eco-system forever.
In the past, Pakistan Network for Rivers, Dams and People (PNRDP) Sindh also raised serious objections over the construction of the reservoir under an independent study carried out in 1998. They said the Chotiari Reservoir Project was designed to increase the storage capacity of lakes in district Sanghar in order to increase the irrigation discharge for agriculture in Umarkot district. They said the reservoir had flooded an area of approximately 100 square miles besides submerging over 40 villages and some 45,000 acres of cultivated or grazing land.
