Once upon a time it was a natural lake and filled through 18 hills torrents (Nai) of Kirthar Mountains, MNVD (Main Nara Vally Drain) and Indus River though 02 regulators. As being the largest resource of fresh water of Pakistan it was providing earning ways to fishermen and also supported other economic affairs activities such as irrigation and livelihood of thousand communities. It was also ecol
ogical heaven for the migratory birds from Siberian about (102 kinds) plateau, because Manchhar Lake is located on the International route of Migratory birds and the first wetland on the route of birds. Manchar Lake use to be one of the major feeding and resting place for these migratory birds and the habitat of the thousand Mohannas (Fishing Communities). According to study in 1988, 50000 water fowls were found in Manchar Lake. The lake was considered as tourism industry when it was very beautiful in past peak days. When it is in full capacity it covers an area of 233 square kilometers at its maximum and when it shrinks, it covers an area of 52 square kilometers at its minimum. However due to various reasons the lake is degraded and the major reason of its degradation is the environmental factors like the diversion of water from Indus and saline water leakage from agricultural fields to Manchar lake moreover the human interruptions are also one major reason for the degradation and elimination of ecological system of Manchar lake, like construction of links from the lake and Main Nara Valley Drain, the MNV Drain puts the saline water in a way to Manchar lake. After the MNV Drain WAPDA has started the construction of the project in 1976 namely north Dadu Surface Drainage Project which pumps out its drainage effluent in the lake via MNVD and it was completed in 1992. After this project the WAPDA authorities has started construction of another project to receive more drainage effluent by construction of drainage network under Right Bank Out-fall Drainage (RBOD) scheme. The Right Bank Out-fall Drain is a long term project to drain out sewage and water from towns and agricultural lands on the right bank of the river Indus. Presently the effluent is disposed into Manchar Lake through MNVD. The impact of the saline/polluted effluents of the MNVD/RBOD did not appear during the initial years as the inflow of fresh water from the other sources was quite regular and uninterrupted, thereby diluting the effect of the MNVD/Right Bank Outfall Drain runoff. In the mid 90s, a year after the flood, and on wards this area experienced a prolonged drought (5-7 years), which diminished the supply of freshwater. Compounded by the upstream water projects the flow of water from the Indus was also cut off. Day by day the fish stock depleted and fishing communities faced financial problems due to lack of fish.
