Namal Lake

Namal Lake (Urdu: نمل جھیل‎) is located near Rikhi, a village on one corner of the Namal valley in Mianwali District, Punjab, Pakistan. It was formed following the construction of Namal Dam in 1913. Namal Dam is situated some 32 km from Mianwali city. The lake has a surface area of 5.5 km². There are mountains on its western and southern sides. On the other two sides are agricultural areas.[6]

Namal Lake
نمل جھیل
Namal Lake
نمل جھیل
LocationNamal Valley, Mianwali District, Punjab, Pakistan
Coordinates32°41′24″N 71°48′05″E
TypeReservoir with Gravity dam
EtymologyNamal means priceless in English[1]
Part ofSalt Range Wetlands Complex (SRWC)[2]
Catchment area164 sq mi (420 km2)[3]
Basin countriesPakistan
DesignationGame Reserve[4]:259
Surface area480 ha (4.8 km2)[4]:259
Water volume630×106 cu ft (0.018 km3) (Average)
2,100×106 cu ft (0.059 km3) (Maximum)[5]
SettlementsNamal, Rikhi
Namal Lake

History

In 1913, British engineers, to meet the scarcity of irrigation and drinking water, built a dam on this Namal lake and irrigated lands up to Mianwali city. But with the passage of time and construction of Thal Canal and installation of tube wells, its utility of water squeezed up to some limit.

The gates of the dam are repaired by the irrigation department regularly but without enthusiasm. The hill torrents and rains fill the Namal Lake round the year. Due to a drought-like situation in the country, this lake dried up last year, which is the first incident of its kind during the last 100 years. Presently, its condition is very bad.

See also

References
  1. "Namal Jheel (Documentary Program, Jheel Kinara, Namal Jheel)". Radio Pakistan. April 6, 2016. Archived from the original on October 1, 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
  2. "Salt Range Wetlands Complex". www.pakistanwetlands.org. Archived from the original on July 4, 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
  3. Lahna Singh; Sirdar Bahadur. The Namal Dam (PDF). p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 13, 2011. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
  4. Environmental & Social Management Framework (ESMF) (PDF). April 2014. p. 259. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-04-19. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  5. "THE NAMAL LAKE DAM". Western Mail. XXIX (1, 469). Western Australia. 20 February 1914. p. 30. Retrieved 15 August 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2009-09-04.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)


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