Lakki Marwat (Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa)
Lakki Marwat is situated at a distance of 217 km from Peshawar city. Its landscape is mixture of hills and sandy plains. These hills having the average elevation of 500 to 1000 meters. The Marwat range, the Kark Niazi range, and the Baittani range spread around the city. The Kurram River and the Gambila River are the main rivers flows across the district.
Its old name was Thal Daman that means an open sandy plain due to its sandy structure. Then it was known as Marwat due to the Marwat ranges that covers the district at the one end. In 1836, Maharaja Ranjit Singh leased this area for annual sum of Rs. 40,000 to a tax collector known as Dewan Lakki Mull. He settled some of the Hindu inhabitants across the Gambila River, also known as the Tochi River, and that area became a small town named as Lakki. As town grew up, it became the capital of Marwat. After that the city is known as Lakki Marwat.
Lakki Marwat is bounded by Karak, Bannu, South Waziristan, Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, and Minawali districts. The Indus Highway N-55 is the main road running across the district. It is also indirectly connected with Motorway M-14. Lakki Marwat also connected with rail track for all type of transportation.
There are several streams, tributaries of the Kurram River, flow in the city coming from these mountains. The Kurram River flows in the district and confluences with the Indus River at the Isakhel town. These streams and river are the main source of irrigation in the district.
The district is a combination of numerous hill torrents and deep ravines. The central land of the district slopes down from the hills to form a basin due to the Kurram River, the Gambila River, and its other tributaries. Near Wanda Painda Kha, the Gambila River confluences with the Kurrum River. The southern part is combination of undulating dunes of sand, furrowed at regular deep torrent beds to drain the water coming from the Marwat and Baittani ranges. The area is good for cultivation for several good quality crops. The western part of the city is stiff clay covered with stones at the foot of the hills.
The region is just like desert due to its sand dunes, extreme heat, and dry weather. The hot wind normally flows throughout the summer season. Due to desert climate, there is significant difference between day and night temperature. Rainfall is rare in the district, but few showers can by possible in the monsoon period.
Gambila Bridge, located on Sarai Naurang - Lakki Marwat Road, is a beautiful bridge over the Tochi River or the the Gambila River. From the bridge, one can get magnificent view of the Tochi River within the colorful landscape of the area.
In Qabool Khel, a town in Lakki Marwat, Qabool Khel Atomic Energy Commission is constructed, where uranium is excavated in the region and used for further processing. In the mountains of Lakki Marwat, limestone is available in abundant quantity and can be used in manufacturing of cement. Lucky cement factory is installed at Pezu for cement manufacturing. Due to producing of various crops, number of units are installed for further processing such as beans and pulses.
Due to sandy plains, it has very hot weather in the summer season, whereas it becomes moderate mild cool in the winter season. These sand dunes also becomes a reason of hot and dusty winds in the summer season.