Who needs lakes when the Ravi is flowing to capacity

With water level in River Ravi still high, it is the first choice for boating and fishing enthusiasts.

LAHORE: Few people ventured to the boating lakes in the city parks this Sunday. With water level in River Ravi still high, it was the first choice for boating and fishing enthusiasts.

Water level in the river usually recedes by mid September, but this year the river is still flowing with water, owing to the floods.

The boatmen say that the flood has also helped cleanse the river. The stench that had become a regular feature owing to the dumping of sewage is gone. “The waters have taken with them sewage that had made Ravi into a cesspool,” said Taj Din, an elderly boatman.

He said that boating activities in Ravi usually end by mid September. “This season is turning out to be a good one. September has almost ended and we’re still getting plenty of customers,” he said. He said excessive rains had brought a surge to their businesses.

Bara Dari, according to Malik Fayaz, another boatman, was the most popular spot. “I have been making round trips to Bara Dari without a break,” he said. He added that it was an ideal picnic point, “It’s away from the noise and pollution of the city. People visiting Ravi never go away without stopping over at the Bara Dari.”

Nadeen Sheikh, a visitor, said that a trip to Ravi was not only entertaining but also economical. “A trip to Ravi is very cheap compared to any of the water parks in the city,” he said, “especially if you take the entire family.” Sheikh said that food and rides in those parks did not fall within everyone’s budget. He added that boating at Ravi was affordable as well as more fun.

Though Ravi remains a popular tourist spot, visitors and boatmen believe lack of appropriate facilities is a hurdle to it attracting even greater numbers.

Muhammad Sultan, a vendor, said that most people complained about the lack of toilets. He said that by building a few public toilets and setting up some food stalls near the riverbank more and more people could be encouraged to visit the river.

Some of the visitors The Express Tribune talked to also complained about the absence of essential facilities. They said that there was no place to sit down and suggested that a few benches should be placed along the bank.

A Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) spokesperson said that there were plans for building a park at Ravi. “The National Park project has been shelved,” he said, “but the PHA will consider a new proposal to set up food stalls and building public toilets at the river.”

Visitors to the river also tried their luck at fishing. A youngster, who had a good catch, said there were a large number of small fish in the river.

A  Fisheries Department official said there was a lot of raw fish, not popular for human consumption, this year. He said that the department planned to introduce edible fish seed into the river to breed more fish. He said that the famous Ravi Khagga was not found in the portion of the river.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 27^th, 2010.