Keenjhar Lake ( sd, ڪینجھر ڍنڍ) commonly called Malik Lake ( ur, کلری Malik , sd, Maik ڍنڍ ) is located in Thatta District of
Sindh
Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...
the province of Pakistan. It is situated about from the city of Thatta. It is the largest fresh water lake in Pakistan and an important source of drinking water for Thatta District and Karachi city. Through the construction of a bund on the eastern side, it is said that the lake was formed by the union of two lakes: Sonehri and Keenjhar.
Keenjhar Lake has been declared a
ramsar site
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O)
*** Permanent 8 ha (P)
*** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts)
**
wildlife sanctuary. It provides a favorable habitat of winter migratory birds like
ducks
Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...
terns
Terns are seabirds in the family Laridae that have a worldwide distribution and are normally found near the sea, rivers, or wetlands. Terns are treated as a subgroup of the family Laridae which includes gulls and skimmers and consists of e ...
, coots and gulls. It has been observed as a breeding area of the
black-crowned night heron
The black-crowned night heron (''Nycticorax nycticorax''), or black-capped night heron, commonly shortened to just night heron in Eurasia, is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world, including parts of Europe, Asia, and N ...
purple swamphen The purple swamphen has been split into the following species:
* Western swamphen, ''Porphyrio porphyrio'', southwest Europe and northwest Africa
* African swamphen, ''Porphyrio madagascariensis'', sub-Saharan continental Africa and Madagascar
* Gr ...
, and pheasant-tailed jacana.Ramsar Sites in Sindh /ref>
Keenjhar Lake is a popular tourist resort. Many people from Karachi, Hyderabad and Thatta visit to enjoy picnics, swimming, fishing, and boating.
The famous folklore of Noori Jam Tamachi who was a fisherwoman, is connected to the lake. There is a shrine in the middle of the lake marking Noori's grave, which is visited devotees.
Karachi Bulk Water Supply Project
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
*
Indus Basin Project
The Indus Basin Project is a water control project that resulted from a treaty, Indus Waters Treaty, signed between India and Pakistan in 1960 that guaranteed that Pakistan would receive water from the Indus River independent from upstream control ...
