Untitled - WWF - Pakistan
Untitled - WWF - Pakistan
Untitled - WWF - Pakistan
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Detailed Ecological Assessment Report 2008 – Keenjhar Lake<br />
Breeding birds include Night-heron, Cotton teal, Pheasant tailed jacana,<br />
Purple Moorhen, besides some passerines. The Cotton teal has<br />
disappeared in the recent years and has not been seen on the lake for<br />
few years. Mammals include Jackals, Fox, Porcupine, Mongoose and<br />
small rodents. Pangolin has also been recorded. Among reptiles snakes<br />
like Cobra and Saw-scaled viper are common. Monitor lizards, Spiny<br />
tailed lizard are also found here.<br />
• Agriculture: Rice, sugarcane, maize and vegetables are grown in buffer<br />
and adjacent areas of the Lake. An account of cultivated plants (woody<br />
perennial and herbaceous) is provided in Table 3 below.<br />
Table 3 – Cultivated plant species recorded at Keenjhar Lake<br />
S.no Family Plant species Life form Habit<br />
1<br />
Boraginaceae Cordia myxa L. Phanerophyte Small<br />
tree<br />
2 Caesalpiniaceae Cassia alata Linn. Phanerophyte Shrub<br />
3 Caesalpiniaceae Parkinsonia aculeata L. Phanerophyte Tree<br />
4<br />
Fabaceae<br />
Sesbania bispinosa (Jacq.) W.F.<br />
Wight<br />
Phanerophyte Subshrub<br />
Mimosaceae Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) ed Phanerophyte Tree<br />
5<br />
Wit.<br />
6 Moraceae Ficus benghalensis Phanerophyte Tree<br />
7 Moraceae Ficus religiosa Phanerophyte Tree<br />
8 Pedaliaceae Sesamum indicum L. Phanerophyte Shrub<br />
9 Verbenaceae Clerodendrum inerme Gaertn Phanerophyte Shrub<br />
1.1.2 Socio-economic status of communities around Keenjhar Lake<br />
Keenjhar Lake is one of the major fresh water reservoirs located at Thatta<br />
district of Sindh province, covering an area of about 14,000 ha. The lake is<br />
rich in fish fauna and support the livelihood of about 50,000 people. Keenjhar is<br />
the major source to provide domestic and industrial water supplies to<br />
cosmopolitan city of Karachi. The communities are living in the settlement of the<br />
different sizes of villages and hamlets in the programme area. Thirty eight villages<br />
are located with two kilometers radius having population of 18,792 members with<br />
2,610 households and average household size is 7.2. Housing infrastructure<br />
around the Lake is very poor, 73.3% of the houses are Kacha houses made up<br />
with thatch material and consisting of one to two rooms. The communities at<br />
Keenjhar Lake, in general, practicing same cultural norms and Sindhi is the<br />
predominate language of the area. Gandhra, Mirbahar, Manchri and Machhi<br />
casts are fishermen, Hillaya, Dars, Autha and Katiar are farmers, while Palari<br />
Jakhra are the herders.<br />
1.1.3 Infrastructure and social services<br />
The lake is the main source of drinking water for the communities; about 78%<br />
people are getting their drinking water from the Lake; whereas 14% people are<br />
getting water from nearby canal. The area is deprived of sewerage facility,<br />
whereas only 27 houses have toilet facilities in their houses. About 44% villages<br />
have access to the electricity; no gas facility is available in the entire Lake area.<br />
<strong>WWF</strong> <strong>Pakistan</strong> – Indus for All Programme Page 5 of 165