I want to visit the mangroves of Karachi. Has anyone ever been? I am glad they have opened a centre there. Wetland centres are educatonal.
In the thick of forest
Don on the explorer’s cap and venture into the backwaters of Karachi’s Sandspit beach to be mesmerised by the beauty of the mangroves
By Khalid Nasir
Cruising through the mangrove swamps, cut off from the city life and enveloped by stillness and tranquillity of a dense mangrove jungle in the backwaters of Karachi’s Sandspit beach… truly no word can describe its splendour.
I decided to visit the Kakapir village near the Sandspit beach one cloudy morning. It’s hardly a 40-minute drive from the city centre; provided one is not caught in the grip of traffic caused by trucks and container-carriers on the Mauripur road. This area contains shallow tidal lagoons, mudflats and mangrove swamps. The Lyari river feeds the backwaters while the seawater flows in from the Karachi harbour. The mangroves forest is home to migratory birds that come from Central Asia every year.
Usually, the mangroves swamp along the Sandspit beach receives no more than a cursory glance from beach-goers. They appear to be a rather dense collection of bushes separated from the sea by a road that is lined by beach huts. However, if they don on their explorers’ cap, they will find a WWF’s Wetland centre nestled in the midst of the bushes – and an opportunity to enjoy a unique eco-adventure that makes them feel as if they have entered a Hollywood movie shoot in which they are cruising about in the dense Amazon jungle and suddenly a 20-feet reptile jumps out of water at them.
Don’t worry. Nothing swoops up at you during your boat ride here. It’s safe. There are no creepy crawling creatures around and the water is shallow. Besides, explorers are given life jackets to wear for additional safety.
Local fishermen captain their very basic fiberglass boats on nominal rates through the forest. The adventurer may feel a bit annoyed in the beginning by the smell of burning diesel and noisy engine of boats. But once the boat reaches the thick of the forest, the engine is generally turned off and the captain’s crew guide the boat with the help of a long bamboo pole. That’s when the pure magic of mangroves and nature mesmerises the visitor.
Mangroves are trees and shrubs that grow in inter-tidal coastlines forming coastal wetlands. They are unique natural wonders and act as natural barriers to shoreline erosion. Pakistan has 0.5percent of the world’s reserves of mangroves that serves as a lifeline to fish exports and migratory birds and are considered to be covering the largest area of arid climate mangroves in the world. Along Karachi’s coastline, though, mangroves are depleting due to land reclamation projects.
Our boat captain informed that the villages surrounding the forests use mangrove wood as fuel. However, after counselling and guidance provided to them by NGOs working in the area they have somewhat rationalised its use. They, he said, have actually started to value these coastal treasures that are breeding shelters for fish, notably shrimp.
The water quality here is sadly polluted by the human and industrial effluents brought in by the tides from the Lyari river. The boat captain mentioned the villagers generally handpick the floating filth to keep the water channels clean at acceptable levels and they wait for the rainy season to cleanse the water. Ironically the city of Karachi alone dumps more than 450 million gallons of untreated raw sewage and industrial waste into sea.
While we were lamenting the situation, our boat quietly entered a very dense mangrove forest – and it revealed before us a world of its own. We crisscrossed large and small water channels that at times dwarfed the boat and its occupants. Apparently, at high tide a multitude of new waterways open up and an explorer can go further deep into the forest.
And since these mangrove swamps are home to migratory birds (particularly between November and February), we were fortunate to experience some of the bird species lounging around. It was the first time I ever saw pelicans in their natural habitat. Countless waterfowls, flamingos and herons and many other bird species lazed around, flew about and fluttered briskly in the breeze. How could a traveller resist being mesmerised? It’s as if his good deeds had paid off and paradise declared as his final abode. Only the start of the boat engine could take him out of the trance – to click his camera fervently.
This excursion into the mangroves generally takes an hour. On the way back from the boat ride, the adventurer can relish a delicious lunch of prawn biryani at the kitchen that has been set up by an organisation to promote local cuisine. Since the mangroves serve as prime nurseries for shrimps and other marine life, he may feel some guilt at consuming what is being protected. But don’t worry, the whole purpose of the mangroves cruising is to create awareness for sustainable harvesting and conservation of the habitat.
The fun is not over yet. How can the visitor leave without paying a visit to the magnificent waters of the Sandpit beach that is just across the road? He can wade through the seawater and enjoy a horse or camel ride. And a picturesque sunset is always a bonus; provided he is left with energy to drive back home.