THATTA, Feb 6: The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB), and the Wildlife Department have taken expeditious measures for clearing weeds and algae from the Haleji Lake.

The objective is to restore the natural beauty of the lake, which spreads over an area of 18 sq miles, so that tourists are attracted.

The lake is being cleaned under the directives of the Sindh governor, Mohammedmian Soomro.

The lake used to be a sanctuary for at least 222 bird species including coots, ducks, purple moorhens, kingfishers, pigeons, white herons, teals, waders, mallards, flamingos, shovellers, pelicans, cormorants, egrets, black-headed gulls, pheasants, partridges, and storks. Birds of prey like eagles, buzzards, harriers, falcons, and kites too visited the lake to catch other birds.

However, over the years the number of species visiting this lake has dropped to less than a 100.

Crocodiles too are found in the lake and there are at least 200 in number.

Syed Fazal Shah, Game Inspector, Haleji Lake, told this correspondent that tourists, both local and foreign, were reluctant to visit the lake as there were no hotels, no electricity, and no telephones in the area. In fact, lack of facilities was the mean reason for tourists not visiting the site.

He claimed that the water in the lake had risen to a satisfactory level of 24ft as against 19ft last year.

He revealed that under the directives of the Sindh governor, the penalty on illegal hunting had been enhanced from Rs1,500 to Rs15,000, and added that Rs60,000 had been recovered as fine from illegal poachers.

He said that due to the war in Afghanistan, the number of migratory birds in Pakistan had been 30 per cent less than last year.

OBITUARY: Asif Ali Palijo (28), an active member of the Sindhis Association of North America (SANA), and son of a former editor of two Sindhi periodicals, Abdul Rehman Palijo, was buried in his ancestral graveyard at the Hassan Palijo village, near Jungshahi, on Wednesday.