KARACHI: “Go inside the water, why don’t you? Your picture will come out much nicer,” said Fareed Khan as he held his camera in one hand and album of colourful sample photos in the other while chasing a prospective client at the Clifton beach on Monday.

The new breakwater nearby has resulted in the formation of a two to four feet deep groove, or channel, at the beach, which is slowly being discovered by beach-goers. “It is not dangerous as the deep sea is up ahead. This area only fills up with water when the tide is rising. And during high tide, like right now, it looks like the sea itself though the actual sea is far from here,” said Amjad Ali, who had piled up several empty old wood fruit cartons to store shoes and slippers of those already swimming in the ditch.

“I charge Rs10 for safekeeping of footwear. It is not a bad way of making some money,” he said. “Still after coming out of the water some folks realise they have misplaced the token I had given them in exchange for their shoes and slippers. Then we have a bit of a problem up on our hands,” he said.

“You’ll notice the Cantonment Board lifeguards also aren’t here that much in force as this is not a dangerous seaside due to this shallow channel. It is great for splashing around and beating the heat. It only poses a problem for them when kids get overenthusiastic during high tide to start swimming towards the deep sea,” he said.

Up ahead there were a few youngsters, who after splashing around in the shallow water for the while built up confidence to try the actual sea. And just then a lifeguard watching from his high tower climbed down to pull them out before they went any further.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Nadeem, the chaat and gol gappay vendor proved himself an enterprising chap for also carrying on his cart several plastic chairs besides the spicy delights. “After iftar, I will do some setting in front of my cart. Those who come here to enjoy the cool breeze and this little channel of ours, will surely also want to try my chaat,” he spelled out his plan.

Ahmedullah, who comes here often with his family, said that the people simply discovered a ditch forming all by itself without any digging involved at the place some four months back. “You see that little breakwater over there,” he said pointing to the far right. “That is the reason for this very welcome spot for picnickers here. The cavity just developed naturally due to the direction of the ebbing tides after the breakwater came about,” he said.

“It is ideal, too. As had it been too much towards the DHA beach side, no one would have dared getting their feet wet in it because of some gutter outlets near the sewerage plant and the nullahs there polluting the beach.”

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2016