Chotiari Dam

26°8′15″N 69°3′48″E / 26.13750°N 69.06333°E / 26.13750; 69.06333PurposeReservoirStatusOperationalConstruction began1994 (1994)Opening dateDecember 2002 (2002-12)Construction cost1.5 billion rupees (approx. US $ 26.3 million)Operator(s)Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (SIDA)^[1]ReservoirCreatesChotiari Water ReservoirTotal capacity0.75 million acre feet (MAF)Active capacity0.67 MAFSurface area18,000 hectares (44,000 acres)
160 square kilometres (62 sq mi)Maximum length16 kilometres (9.9 miles)Maximum width13 kilometres (8.1 miles)Maximum water depth45 feet (14 metres)

Chotiari Dam (Urdu: چوٹیاری بند ) is an artificial water reservoir situated 35 km away from the Sanghar town in the Sanghar District of the Sindh province of Pakistan. Its construction was completed in December, 2002, at the total cost of Rs 6 billion.^{[citation needed]} The main purpose of constructing this dam was to discharge saline water of the Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD). The dam is extended to 24,300 acres (9,800 ha) with storage capacity of 750,000 acres (300,000 ha) feet.^[2] It has an active capacity of 0.67 MAF.^[3]

Before the construction of the reservoir, this site was home to a few natural lakes, fed by the tributaries of the Nara Canal. It is also a wetland and habitat for birds, reptiles and small mammals. Now, the environment and wildlife of this area is badly affected by the saline water discharge of Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD).^[4]

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