By Tara Chapagain
Pokhara, Feb. 16: A committee has been formed under the leadership of the Gandaki provincial government to clean Fewa Lake. The committee, which includes officials of the Pokhara Metropolitan City and other stakeholders, was formed on Sunday to remove mud, stones, sand and debris from the lake.
Owing to the ongoing dam maintenance work, the water level in Fewa has dropped by nearly a metre and much muck, algae and waste which previously lay underwater have surfaced. Seizing this opportunity, the committee will clean the exposed lakebed to increase its depth and beautify the area.
The committee will have seven members – Ram Kaji Shrestha, head of the Environment and Biodiversity Division of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment, Dr. Anup Gurung, director of the Gandaki Province’s Lake Conservation and Development Authority (LCDA), Kiran Acharya, chief engineer at the Water Resources and Irrigation Development Division Office (WRIDDO) in Kaski, Kedar Baral, head of the Division Forest Office (DFO) in Kaski, Ram Singh Thapa, senior watershed conservation officer at the Greater Watershed Management Centre (GWMC) in Pokhara, Krishna Prasad Ghimire, senior watershed conservation officer at the Soil and Watershed Management Office (SWMO) in Tanahun and Saroj Koirala, member of the Pokhara Metropolitan City Planning Commission.
WRIDDO will also provide necessary technical assistance including survey, design and cost estimation.
Minister for Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment of Gandaki Province Bikash Lamsal informed that the lake would be divided into four parts for cleaning. The WRIDDO will clean the part of the lake spanning from the dam to Phirke Khola. Pokhara Metropolitan City and LCDA will clean the area from Phirke Khola to Komagane Park. LCDA, GWMC and SWMO will clean from Barahighat to Gaura Chautara.
For the work, the agencies will utilise the budget allocated for the conservation of Fewa Lake or transfer the budget from other headings which cannot be implemented in the remaining time of the current fiscal year.