Khor Kalmat
Encyclopedia
Khor Kalmat is a lagoon
located along the Makran
coast of Balochistan, Pakistan
. The Basol River
drains into the Khor Kalmat lagoon. In recent times, it has gained attention for being the locality where the Pakistan Navy
plans to build a base, known as the Kalmat Naval Base
.
Kalmat lies about 350 km west of Karachi
; the area is located at a distance of about 20 km from the Makran Coastal Highway
. There are four main settlements in the area viz. Kalmat, Chundi, Gursant and Makola. People are living below the poverty line and thus dependence on natural resources mainly fishery has increased. Now there is uncertainty in returns expected from fishing.
The population of Kalmat area is about 2,000. Majority of them are fishermen and belong to the Kalmati
and Sanghoor Baloch tribes. About 95% of the population is engaged in fishing activities.
is the main source of economic sustainance and revenue in the region; the water surrounding Khor Kalmat provide high quality prawns and other different types of fish. Annually, millions of rupee
s worth of prawns and fish are exported from Kalmat to Karachi and the international market. Sources say that if the government of Pakistan decides to go ahead with their plan to build the naval base, it will cost thousands of fishermen their jobs. It is also feared that thousands of fishermen will lose their jobs, as the Pakistan Navy will take over the area.
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
located along the Makran
Makran
The present day Makran is a semi-desert coastal strip in the south of Sindh, Balochistan, in Iran and Pakistan, along the coast of the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman. The present day Makran derived its name from Maka, a satrap of Achaemenid Empire....
coast of Balochistan, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. The Basol River
Basol River
Basol River is located in Gwadar District, Balochistan, Pakistan. Basol river drains into Khor Kalmat lagoon. The geographical coordinated of Khor Kalmat are N 25° 24' 32 E 64° 4' 37....
drains into the Khor Kalmat lagoon. In recent times, it has gained attention for being the locality where the Pakistan Navy
Pakistan Navy
The Pakistan Navy is the naval warfare/service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. Pakistan's Navy is responsible for Pakistan's coastline along the Arabian Sea and the defense of important civilian harbors and military bases...
plans to build a base, known as the Kalmat Naval Base
Kalmat Naval Base
The Kalmat Naval Base is a Pakistan Navy base that will be located at Khor Kalmat, Balochistan, Pakistan. Nearly 30,000 acres of land has been bought for the construction of the base.-Geography:...
.
Kalmat lies about 350 km west of Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
; the area is located at a distance of about 20 km from the Makran Coastal Highway
Makran Coastal Highway
Makran Coastal Highway is a 653 km-long coastal highway along Pakistan's Arabian Sea coastline. It runs primarily through Balochistan province between Karachi and Gwadar, passing near the port towns of Ormara and Pasni....
. There are four main settlements in the area viz. Kalmat, Chundi, Gursant and Makola. People are living below the poverty line and thus dependence on natural resources mainly fishery has increased. Now there is uncertainty in returns expected from fishing.
The population of Kalmat area is about 2,000. Majority of them are fishermen and belong to the Kalmati
Kalmati
Kalmati is a Baloch tribe in Balochistan, Pakistan.- History :This tribe belongs the son of Mir Jalalan and Mir Hoath. When Hoath tribe were ruling on Kech Makran, few from the tribe settled in Kalmat Bandar , situated near Pasni Port, coastal area of Balochistan...
and Sanghoor Baloch tribes. About 95% of the population is engaged in fishing activities.
Kalmat Naval Base
The Pakistan Navy is planning to construct the Kalmat Naval Base at Khor Kalmat.Fishery
FisheryFishery
Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats,...
is the main source of economic sustainance and revenue in the region; the water surrounding Khor Kalmat provide high quality prawns and other different types of fish. Annually, millions of rupee
Pakistani rupee
The rupee is the currency of Pakistan. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the State Bank of Pakistan, the central bank of the country. The most commonly used symbol for the rupee is Rs, used on receipts when purchasing goods and services. In Pakistan, the rupee is referred to as the...
s worth of prawns and fish are exported from Kalmat to Karachi and the international market. Sources say that if the government of Pakistan decides to go ahead with their plan to build the naval base, it will cost thousands of fishermen their jobs. It is also feared that thousands of fishermen will lose their jobs, as the Pakistan Navy will take over the area.