Keenjhar Lake
Keenjhar Lake (Urdu: کینجھر جھیل; Sindhi: ڪینجھر ڍنڍ), commonly called Kalri Lake (Urdu: کلری جھیل; Sindhi: ڪلري ڍنڍ), is located in Thatta District of Sindh the province of Pakistan. It is situated about 36 kilometres (22 mi) from the city of Thatta. It is 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 | |
|---|---|
| ڪینجھر ڍنڍ (Sindhi) | |
Keenjhar Lake Location in Sindh Keenjhar Lake Location in Pakistan | |
| Location | Thatta District, Sindh, Pakistan |
| Coordinates | 24°57′N 68°03′E |
| Basin countries | Pakistan |
| Max. length | 24 km (15 mi) |
| Max. width | 6 km (3.7 mi) |
| Surface area | 13,468 ha (33,280 acres) |
| Average depth | 1 m (3 ft 3 in) |
| Max. depth | 7.9 metres (26 ft) |
| Water volume | 0.53×106 acre⋅ft (650 hm3) |
| Surface elevation | 15 metres (49 ft) |
Ramsar Wetland | |
| Official name | Kinjhar Lake |
| Designated | 23 July 1976 |
| Reference no. | 99 |
Keenjhar Lake has been declared a ramsar site and a wildlife sanctuary. It provides a favorable habitat of winter migratory birds like ducks, geese, flamingos, cormorants, waders, herons, egrets, ibises, terns, coots and gulls. It has been observed as a breeding area of the black-crowned night heron, the cotton pygmy goose, purple swamphen, and pheasant-tailed jacana.
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.