The lake is Pakistan’s first man-made reservoir and was once a favorite destination for Siberian birds in winters.
Surrounded by salt marshes and brackish seepage lagoons, Lake Haleji was once a favorite destination for migratory birds that flew thousands of kilometers from Siberia to enjoy Pakistan’s warm waters in the harsh winters.
Located about 100 kilometers from Karachi, this perennial freshwater lake is the country’s first man-made water body.
Commissioned in 1942, the lake was intended to supply fresh water to British troops stationed in Karachi during World War II.
Until a decade ago, the shimmering blue waters of Lake Haleji attracted large numbers of migratory birds due to its rich biodiversity.
But it currently offers a sorry picture, as reduced water levels, stagnant conditions, pollution and other climate-driven factors have turned the lake into a gigantic pond of stagnant, murky water.
The lake would receive water from the mighty Indus River and has been one of the main sources of water supply to various parts of Karachi until 2018.
“There has been no inflow of fresh water from the Indus River into the lake for the last eight years, which has severely affected its health, besides disturbing the ecosystem,” said Sohail Ahmed Khoso, an official at the Sindh Wildlife Department.
talking to anadolu On the occasion of World Wetlands Day, celebrated every year on February 2, Khoso said the inflow of water into the lake from the Indus River began to reduce in 2000 and stopped completely in 2018.
The body of water, declared a wildlife sanctuary, would attract the largest number of migratory birds in winter until a few years ago.
The number of migratory birds is reduced
A narrow metal road crossed desolate terrain with wild vegetation until it reached the western shore of the lake, which was once a paradise for bird watchers.
Spread over 18 square kilometers, the lake is one of the 19 Ramsar certified water bodies in Pakistan.
Pakistan is a signatory to the 1971 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. It is named after the city of Ramsar in Iran.
The country’s once-thriving wetlands, including Lake Haleji, long a sanctuary for millions of migratory birds fleeing Siberia’s brutal winters, are seeing a disturbing decline in the number of bird visitors.
These birds make a 4,500 kilometer journey from Siberia to India via the Indus Flyway, with stops at several lakes and water reservoirs in Pakistan.
Experts say a combination of prolonged drought, declining water levels and increasing habitat degradation is driving away these seasonal hosts.
Sindh, a traditionally favorite spot for migratory birds, has seen the most drastic decline. According to the 2024-25 waterbird count of the Sindh Wildlife Department, the number of migratory birds fell sharply from 1.2 million in 2023 to 603,900 in 2024 and only 545,000 in 2025, a staggering drop of more than 50% in two years.
According to Khoso, the number of migratory birds this year has reduced by 40% compared to 2025 due to freshwater shortages, disruptions in the food chain and pollution.
Last year, about 40,000 guest birds visited Lake Haleji after a gradual decline in their numbers.
“The current water levels in the lake are due to the heavy rains in 2022; otherwise, there has been no inflow or outflow of water in the last eight years,” he said.
To address the continuing food shortage, he added, the Wildlife Department is artificially arranging foraging for guest birds, which is understandably not enough.
Rafiul Haq, an environmentalist from Karachi, supports this view and fears that the number could decline further in the coming years due to a regular deterioration in the health of the lake.
In the near past, he said, over-extraction and alternative water supply systems have destroyed the ecosystem of the country’s “natural reservoirs” such as Lake Haleji.
“They are natural dams that need to be protected. But our priority is to build artificial bodies of water, which seems illogical and disturbing for biodiversity in general and disturbs the natural refuges of migratory birds,” he said. anadolu.
Haq called for water flow to the lake to be restored to restore its biodiversity.
Home to the largest number of crocodiles
The reservoir is also home to the largest number of crocodiles in Pakistan.
According to Khoso, the lake is home to between 400 and 500 crocodiles, which constitute the largest population of this wild animal in the country.
Current estimates put the total crocodile population in Pakistan between 700 and 1,500.
In the 1970s, a pair of crocodiles were released into the lake to maintain ecological balance and the natural food chain. Their number soon grew to hundreds.
Crocodiles are important for ecological balance and the natural food chain, said Attaullah Pandrani, a Balochistan-based ecologist who has been associated with several habitat and species conservation projects.
Crocodiles help support the food fish population by eating carnivorous fish, especially those in the catfish family.
