By Phadindra Adhikari, Lekhnath, Oct. 17: Phewa Lake, which reflects the magnificent Mt. Machhapuchhre in its waters, attracts countless visitors. Lakeside, situated along its shores, is one of Nepal’s most renowned tourist destinations.
Around 1,000 boats operate on the lake, and the Barahi Temple stands on an island at its centre. Yet Phewa Lake, an important national heritage site, is gradually shrinking due to both human and natural encroachment.
Various studies indicate that Phewa Lake has lost half of its area over the past six decades. In 1961, the lake covered approximately 10.5 square kilometres. By 2020, its area had shrunk to 5.7 square kilometres.
The need to restore Phewa Lake to its former state and enhance its natural beauty is repeatedly raised. However, land plotting is taking place in wetland areas at the upper end of the lake, while large structures are being built along its shores and within its catchment area. These activities have prompted recurring concerns about the future of Pokhara’s tourism industry and the Jalari community if the lake itself disappears.
Increasing pollution, along with the silt, rocks, gravel and sand washed into the lake during the monsoon, is causing it to fill up.
Ram Bahadur Paudel, coordinator of the Campaign for Environmental Conservation, said that Phewa Lake is connected not only to human life but also to aquatic and terrestrial life and overall biodiversity. He emphasises that protecting the lake is the responsibility of every citizen.
“Phewa Lake is Pokhara’s natural identity and a major foundation of its tourism industry. If Phewa disappears, neither tourism here nor the identity of the Jalari community and us Pokhara residents will survive,” he said.
Around 90 per cent of the Jalari people living within the designated 65-metre buffer zone along the lake depend on it for their livelihoods.
Shobha Jalari, a ward member of Pokhara Metropolitan City-6, said that the Jalari community cannot survive without the lake.
“If this lake is not protected, how will the Jalari people survive?” she said. “Those who have depended on catching fish from the lake since childhood love it more deeply than anyone else.”
Shanti Jalari, who lives in Khapaudi, Pokhara-18, also stresses that the Jalari community’s needs must be properly addressed when enforcing the 65-metre buffer zone measured from the lake’s edge. Shanti lives with her husband and two children in a temporary house built on public land along the lakeshore.
“Our livelihood depends on catching fish. If even this is taken away from us, how will we earn a living?” she said. “We are not an obstacle to protecting the lake. Even if we have to move, the government should arrange somewhere for us to live nearby.”
Ramesh Paudel, president of the Federation of Nepali Journalists Gandaki Province chapter, said that since Phewa Lake is closely linked to the lives and future of local communities, appropriate measures are necessary for its conservation and development. An interaction programme on the role of social activists in the conservation and beautification of Phewa Lake was also held on Wednesday.
Environmental rights activist Krishna Mani Baral believes that effective structures must be built in the upper catchment area to control the silt and other materials flowing into the lake.
He suggests constructing small siltation dams and settling ponds along streams such as the Harpan and Phirke, which carry waste, soil and sediment into the lake. These structures would help trap waterborne debris and allow sediment to settle before reaching the lake.
The federal government has also included the removal of encroachment on Phewa Lake in its 100-point agenda for governance reforms. There are approximately 40,000 land parcels around the lake. Dhan Raj Acharya, mayor of Pokhara Metropolitan City, said that land requiring compensation and land not eligible for compensation have already been identified.
“There will be no difficulty in removing structures that fall within the designated buffer zone as soon as the federal government provides the compensation,” he said.
The Supreme Court has ordered that the area extending 65 metres from the lake’s highest water level be cleared and converted into a green zone. The court also ordered compensation for land registered before 1974. However, it directed that registrations for land made in 1974, when the lake’s dam burst, be considered invalid and cancelled.
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