Sindh: Keenjhar Lake to have recreational park, three-star motels

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Jan Khaskheli
Sindh government has planned to establish a recreational park at Keenjhar Lake. For this, initial survey has been launched to identify a suitable place – a 100-acre plot – for its establishment along with three-star motels and other facilities for picnickers, said Sindh Culture and Tourism Minister Sassui Paleejo.

The minister was speaking at a colourful event, ‘Innovation and Conservation Mela’, organized by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme on Saturday, where projects implementing partners placed threatened species on display and set up stalls of handmade items.

The minister said: “Potential, attractive spots are accessible here to promote tourism in Sindh.” It is the first time a joint venture project is being launched on a public-private partnership basis at Keenjhar Lake that also involves relevant Sindh Wildlife, Irrigation, Fisheries and Livestock departments and other stakeholders.

The minister slammed the former government, which, according to her, ignored the rural areas for a long time.

In this regard, a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Pakistan official told The News that the provincial minister had earlier announced to have a meeting with all the major non-governmental organisations (NGO) implementing various projects in Thatta district to discuss the scheme to set up the picnic resort and amusement parks.

The News has learnt that a private firm has been assigned a task to design feasibility report with environment impact assessment (EIA) of the project, and it will take four months to complete.

When a country level NGO recently tried to take a piece of land along the Keenjhar Lake for establishing an information dissemination center, the Thatta district management informed the concerned representatives of the NGO that “they have strict directions from the Presidency not to allot a single inch to any organization or an individual around the major freshwater body,” sources said.

They said the provincial government has instructions to promote tourism sites in the province and utilize the potential for the development of neglected rural areas, especially the fishing community.

UNDP GEF Small Grants Programme has launched a beautiful Floating Hut at the lake to facilitate visiting families, while boating facility for the picnickers is already available.

When contacted, the community people — who claim to be the real custodians of the major water body – expressed concern over the ignorant attitude of the government authorities while launching such projects.

Annis Gandro, a local activist, said that earlier the Pakistan Tourism Corporation had launched huts at the Keenjhar Lake in 1986, and there were 25 huts and a restaurant built in late sixties, encircled by thick trees and a wide park, which have now been ruined due to lack of maintenance by certain authorities. This area, now referred to as the ‘old area’ is still attractive for visitors due to the remaining trees and the traditional food facility.

He said hundreds of families from Karachi and Hyderabad, and students of various universities, colleges and schools visit different spots along the lake daily. On weekends and public holidays, he added, people in large number throng to the fresh water body to enjoy the clean air and beat the heat wave.

He further said that there are no lifeguards stationed at the lake, while the emergency center is not functional to launch a rescue operation in any emergency. He added that the community people available there are operating voluntarily to save drowning visitors.

He demanded that local youths are accommodated in suitable jobs, as they are already playing a laudable role.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=178726