Islamabad: The Indus River is dying, and so is the life around it, whether it is the natural habitat or human settlements along the river banks.
These are the words of Wajahat Malik, Pakistan’s acclaimed filmmaker and photographer who has recently completed the 45-day ‘The Expedition Indus’ rafting that covered the 2,300-km length of the 3,180-km entire Indus river. The expedition journey commenced from Hamzigond in the Kharmang district of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and ended at the Karachi Port.
Started in late March, the expedition was the first-ever rafting exploration of the Indus River by Wajahat Malik and his team.
The team led by Wajahat Malik included ABM Faisal, Farman Ahmed, Sanif Jamal, Atif Amin, Sultan Karim, Afia Salam and Lt Commander Babar Nisar Khan. They also had a parallel crew that travelled on road with logistics and other support. All is not well with Indus
The mighty river is the key water resource for Pakistan’s economy and the bread basket of the Punjab and Sindh. It is however, facing existential challenges like industrial and urban pollution as their waste finds its way into the river waters.
Moreover, the Indus water is drying up due to prolonged heatwaves and lesser rains and the indigenous population whose survival is solely on the fish and the water life is now finding it hard to continue with its hundreds of years old lifestyle and culture.
For Pakistan which is already facing the impact of climate degradation, global warming and carbon emissions, the Indus is a source of life and prosperity but unfortunately, the successive governments have paid little attention to save the river from pollution and to keep off the frequent human interventions.
An adventure of life-time
Besides the ecological significance, the rafting experience also exposed the team to extreme climate conditions — in the north it was biting cold while in the south it was sweltering hot.
In the north, from Skardu to Tarbela, the rafters encountered a wild, long and rough Indus and whose turbulent waves made it quite an ordeal to move along. It was not easy to get along rafting peacefully. The water in the Skardu region was so cold that one cannot survive for longer than three minutes in it.
Besides, one advantage of rafting in the north is you come across a heavenly view, mountains standing overhead while small rivers meet the mighty Indus from different points, he said.
Great escape
In Punjab too, the Indus takes gigantic turns in the mountainous range and the gorges there make it almost impossible to keep pace with the rushing water of the river .
In the south, the Indus is subdued and its passage in the Sindh province is a little noisy. However, there they came across a different challenge. In the Katcha area of the interior, Sindh, while camped on the riverbank they were attacked by the robbers. “The robbers shot fires in our direction and we had to hurry our boat into the water to escape them,” said Wajahat.
They also came across the Indus dolphins in the 750mile stretch of the river.
They have adapted to life in the muddy river and are functionally blind. They rely on echolocation to navigate, communicate and hunt prey including prawns, catfish, and carp.
Better practices needed to save planet
The Islamabad Serena Hotel that had sponsored the entire expedition hosted a reception for Wajahat Malik and his team upon the successful completion of the rafting expedition.
CEO of the hotel, Aziz Boolani, Ambassador of Azerbaijan Khazar Fahadov. Dean of Diplomatic Corps Ambassador of Turkmenistan Atadjan Movlamov, the Nepalese ambassador Tapas Adhikari, diplomats and promoters of adventure tourism attended the event.
“We believe in addressing climate change and highlighting the need for better practices to save the planet. This Expedition is yet another declaration of commitment to raising awareness for those hardest hit by climate change and global warming,” said Aziz Boolani.
Talking to Gulf News, Wajahat Malik thanked the Serena Hotel and the Pakistan Navy. It was because of their support that we made it. I am working on a documentary of the expedition and it would be the first of its kind detailing the ecological, environmental and socioeconomic impact of urban life on the water body that sustains all the life in Pakistan, he said
The natural life of the river is adversely affected by the phenomenon of global warming which needs to be addressed as soon as possible, he said.
Wajahat Malik had earlier rafting experience in Nepal. In his documentaries and expedition films too, he has done a number of them from his Eyebex Film platform.
