Sonmiani Tehsil
Sonmiani, also referred to as Windar, is an administrative subdivision of Hub District in the province of Balochistan, Pakistan. In 2023, the tehsil had a population of 67,991, more than half residing in urban areas, including its administrative centre Windar.
The tehsil was part of Lasbela District until 2022, when administrative reforms led to the creation of Hub District. The tehsils of the new district, in addition to Sonmiani, are: Dureji, Gadani, Hub, and Sakran.
Geography
Sonmiani Tehsil spans approximately 2,616 square kilometres and features a combination of coastal plains and arid, mountainous terrain. While the majority of the landscape is dry, limited pockets of arable land support agriculture. The tehsil experiences a hot desert climate, with sparse rainfall and high summer temperatures. Geographically, the tehsil borders the Arabian Sea, including the coastal waters of Sonmiani Bay and the biologically significant Miani Hor lagoon, a designated wetland of ecological importance.To the north, near the boundary with Liari and Uthal tehsils of Lasbela District, lies the shallow seasonal Siranda Lake, located between Miani Hor and the N-25 National Highway. The lake holds both ecological and archaeological relevance. Further inland, about east of Winder town, the Winder Dam is expected to be completed in 2025. It will contribute to local water storage and irrigation, with a capacity of and a small hydropower generation capacity of 3 megawatts.
Population
As per the 2023 national census, the tehsil has a total population of 67,991, comprising 32,746 rural and 35,245 urban residents. The town of Windar serves as the tehsil's headquarters and is the primary urban centre. The tehsil includes 14,186 households, of which 6,861 are in rural and 7,325 in urban areas.The overall literacy rate is 35.80%, with a male literacy rate of 45.58% and a female literacy rate of 25.89%. These figures highlight ongoing challenges in access to education, particularly for women.