The Sindh government has decided to restore the once active ‘village of boats’ on the almost-ruined Manchhar Lake and turn it into a model village.
As per reports, the decision was taken on the instructions of Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah who aims to bring back as many fishermen families as possible to their boat village.
Initial working on the plan had already begun to restore the lost glory of this one of the largest freshwater lakes in the region.
Officials said the plan to rehabilitate the lake was multidimensional. It included provision of safe drinking water, a school for the children of fishermen, a dispensary and other basic facilities.
The floating model village would be a wonderful recreational place for all and plans are being made to develop and establish floating restaurants and resorts for visitors. Towers would be built for birdwatchers, in addition to fishing points, public toilets and marketplaces. Officials said such facilities would attract visitors from across the country and abroad and turn the area into a tourist hotspot.
People had been living on boats at Manchhar Lake for centuries with scores of villages floating in the lake. However, it was heavily contaminated by the Right Bank Outfall Drain project.
