LAHORE: Pakistan’s last surviving houseboat village on Manchar Lake, near Sehwan in Sindh, has been significantly restored in a landmark cultural preservation project.
A total of 44 traditional houseboats, known as Galiyo, and the smaller fishing boats known as Hurro have been carefully restored as part of a 20-month initiative led by Prof. Dr. Anila Naeem, Chairperson, Department of Architecture and Planning at NED University, and Ms. Farida Abdul Ghaffar, Assistant Professor.
Currently, around 370 members of the Mohanna community—descendants of two brothers—reside on these traditional Galiyos.
This research and restoration work was presented by Prof. Dr. Anila Naeem, Chairperson of the Department of Architecture and Planning at NED University, and Ms. Farida Abdul Ghaffar, Assistant Professor, at an event organized by THAAP as the 60th session of its distinguished talk series.
The event was held at its Secretariat on Saturday and drew an audience of prominent cultural and academic figures, including Prof. Dr. Nizamuddin, Prof. Sajida Vandal, Ar. Khawar Hassan, Dr. Kanwal Khalid, Dr. Anjum Altaf (former Dean, LUMS), Prof. Perin Boga, Dr. Anis Siddiqi, Dr. Mamuna Iqbal, and Dr. Fareeha Zafar from the Lahore School of Economics.
Funded by the UK Government’s Cultural Protection Fund and implemented in partnership with the British Council, the project has also gifted two newly built Galiyo houseboats—Sohni and Laal—to the Mohanna community. Named after characters from Sindhi folklore, these houseboats will support the launch of “Manchar Lake Mohannas Tours,” a community-led tourism initiative featuring birdwatching, cultural games, local cuisine, heritage experiences, and other community endeavors.
Historically a few decades ago, hundreds of houseboats floated along the Indus River from southern Punjab to interior Sindh. Today, only a few dozen remain, primarily due to pollution, environmental changes, and the devastating impact of the Right Bank Outfall Drain (RBOD). With this project, the boats—many of which were previously patched with cement due to lack of resources—have been restored using traditional methods by artisans located across Sindh and southern Punjab. The initiative also provided five new fishing boats known as Hurros to support local livelihoods. Alongside restoration, project introduced community-focused developments, including a solar-powered RO water plant, eco-friendly toilets, and a Mohanna boat school supported by The Citizens Foundation (TCF) entitled Sujaag program to deliver early education and essential basic skills to children of the mohannas families.
The Mohannas, often referred to as the “bird people,” have coexisted for generations with the lake’s diverse avian life—majestic pelicans, cranes, egrets, and other migratory birds—maintaining a deep bond with nature.
Prof. Dr. Anila Naeem concluded the talk by highlighting the urgent environmental threat posed by the RBOD, calling for decisive government action to prevent further contamination of the lake and protect its delicate ecosystem.
Prof. Pervaiz Vandal, in his concluding remarks, praised the speakers for their “exemplary and inspiring project work completed in such a short time,” and emphasized the shared responsibility to protect Pakistan’s indigenous cultures, communities, and living traditions.
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