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 Manora
or Manoro is a small
island (2.5 km˛)
located just south
of the Port of
Karachi, Sindh,
Pakistan. The island
is connected to the
mainland by a 12
kilometer long
causeway called the
Sandspit. Manora and
neighboring islands
form a protective
barrier between
Karachi harbor to
the north and the
Arabian Sea to the
south. The western
bay of the harbor
contains endangered
mangrove forests
which border the
Sandspit and Manora
island. To the east
is Karachi Bay and
the beach towns of Kiamari and Clifton.
The island is
located at
24°48′00″N,
66°58′00″E
(24.800000,
66.970000).
History
According to the
British historian
Eliot, parts of city
of Karachi and the
island of Manora at
port of Karachi
constituted the city
of Debal. The island
was the site of a
small fort
constructed in the
eighteenth century
when the port of
Karachi traded with
Oman and Bahrain.
The fort was stormed
by the British in
1839 because of the
strategic location
of Karachi. Although
the fort is now
buried beneath the
naval base, the
lighthouse is a
visible reminder of
the British presence
having been built in
1889 to assist
vessels approaching
Karachi harbor.
The island of Manora
has served for more
than 50 years as the
main base of the
Pakistan Navy, with
berths for naval
vessels located
along the eastern
edge of the island.
The island has been
governed as a
military cantonment
despite being
located so close to
Karachi. The opening
of the new Jinnah
Naval Base at Ormara,
250 kilometers away,
has meant that
approximately half
of the naval vessels
have moved away from
Manora.
Tourism
Manora is also a
popular picnic spot
because of the long
sandy beaches along
the southern edge of
the island, which
merge into the
beaches of the
Sandspit and then
extend several
kilometers to the
beaches at Hawkesbay.
At the southeastern
end of Manora island
is the tallest
lighthouse (28 m or
91 feet
 high)[1] in
Pakistan. The island
lies approximately
15-20 minutes by
boat ride from
mainland Karachi but
there are no good
hotels available for
an overnight stay.
For this and other
reasons, the
Government of
Pakistan has been
considering
developing the
island into a
tourist destination.
The island has been
envisioned as an
exotic location with
natural landscapes
such as the beaches
and the mangrove
forests, and
secluded beauty with
an upgrade for the
lighthouse to add to
the quaint feel of
the island.
Development
Pakistan's Ministry
for Ports and
Shipping has just
signed Memorandum of
Understanding in
2006 with Dubai
World and Emaar
Properties for the
redevelopment of
Manora Island. As
part of the
development plans,
the KPT and all
Military
establishments will
vacate the island
and hand it over to
the the companies
for development. The
development, so to
speak, will comprise
of establishing high
rise hotels and
apartment buildings
in the areas.
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