Lyari River 4.17

Lyari River is a small ephemeral stream that flows through the Pakistani megacity of Karachi from north east to the center and drains into the Arabian Sea at the Manora channel. It is one of the two rivers of Karachi, the other one being Malir River. The river is about 50 kilometres long. As a seasonal river it carries the collected water after the rains in the catchment area.HistoryUntil the 1950s, the river held clean water and fish, with farming activities on its banks. However, after the independence of Pakistan from British colonialism in 1947, when Karachi was announced as the capital city of the new country, a large influx of refugees from various Indian states as well as from other provinces of Pakistan came to live in the city. With rapid growth of the city's economy, industry, and population, the river's ecology was transformed and it gradually continued to discharge waste water, sewage and industrial effluents.