Recce Visit 2
The 3 days recce visit was conducted from 24 to 27 February, 2023, starting from Karachi and covering Manchar Lake and Sukkur. The first visited location was Goth Wadero Umer at Manchar Lake, which is 42 km from Sehwan. Upon arrival at Manchar Lake, the Local Resource Person Zahid Mallah was briefed about the project objectives. During the visit to Manchar Lake, the team witnessed the last surviving houseboat village comprising of 45 houseboats known as galiyo. Conversations took place with houseboat dweller Mahesar Mallah briefing about the research objectives and gathering relevant information. Due to the marginalized state of fishermen, the construction of new houseboats has become beyond their means; endangering the survival of Indus houseboat culture.

The team also met with skilled craftsmen at a boat-building yards in Goth Haji Malook near Manchar Lake, these craftsmen insights into earlier types of boat-houses (now extinct) known locally as Laangh warri berri/Choplandi. The boatbuilding craftsmen now construct only smaller fishing boats (known as Hurro). The boatbuilding skills are passed down from master-craftsmen to apprentices over five generations without the use of formal drawings.

After Manchar Lake, the team proceeded towards Sukkur where interviews were conducted with identified resource persons (fishermen and boat-makers). The extensive search was made for flat-bottomed, round-shaped houseboats that used to be present along the banks of Indus in Sukkur, back in 2004. It was sadly concluded that the 50-90ft long, curved-profile Indus houseboats (locally known as Baghochar), are now completely extinct. However, craftsmen who built Baghochar and fishermen who lived on them are still present, with vivid memories of these houseboats. Information obtained through interviews and exploration visits it was concluded that no sample of Baghochar exits any more in Sindh. However, some leads were given to do further exploration in lower Punjab.