By Belina Thapa

Lamjung, May 13: The smart village of Ghalegaon which used to be full of domestic and foreign tourists in Spring season has now remained deserted, thanks to the nationwide lockdown enforced by the government to combat the spread of COVID-19.
Not a single tourist has entered the smart tourism village after the enforcement of lockdown on March 24.
According to locals, up to 300 internal and external tourists used to visit Ghalegaon during this season in previous years.
In fear of spreading coronavirus in the village, the villagers themselves have restricted the entry of any strangers, including tourists and guests in the village after the enforcement of the lockdown.
Secretary of Tourism Management Committee of Ghalegaon Dirgha Ghale said that around 250 to 300 tourists used to visit the village per day in this season of past years.
Influx of visitors in the village used to be high during the month of Baisakh (mid-Apiril to mid-May) and the villagers would face the problem of managing all visitors, he shared.
“Fearing the spread of COVID-19 in the village, we are not allowing any stranger to enter the village. All villagers are now busy in household works and some are repairing their houses, toilets and other structures,” Ghale said.
Some villagers have also spending time in cleaning and expanding their tea garden, he said.
President of the committee Ganga Bahadur Ghale said that a meeting of the village leaders, intellectuals and entrepreneurs held soon after the finding of the positive cases of coronavirus in Nepal had decided to restrict entry of strangers in the village.
He said that the villagers decided to fine Rs. 10,000 to any stranger entering village and Rs. 25,000 to 50,000 to the villagers entertaining the strangers.
Currently, there are 120 households in Ghalegaon of which 34 households are operating homestay.
Ghalegaon is popular for typical Ghale culture and cuisines from where one dozens snow-capped mountains, including Machhapuchhre, Annapurna, Lamjung, Himchuli, Manasalu, Ganesh Himal can be viewed clearly.
Ghalegaon is located 24 kilometres away from Besishahar, the district headquarters of Lamjung district.