Trouble at lakeside. En zo zal het toerisme rond Pokhara en Annapurna een langzame dood sterven

Vervuiling en wegenaanleg met de nodige natuurschade tot gevolg in en rond Pokhara en Annapurna zullen naar mijn mening op niet al te lange termijn meer kwaad dan goed doen. Dertig jaar geleden was alles paradijselijk en nu wil ik de ontwikkelingen liever niet zien. Heel jammer dat de meerderheid van de mensen daar niet inzien wat ze zichzelf op termijn aandoen.


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Fewa Lake, once synonymous with scenic Pokhara, is losing its charm thanks to the unabated pollution and encroachment caused by tourism. The degrading state of the second largest lake in the country has cast gloom over hundreds of families dependent solely on the boating industry in Pokhara.

Gou Maya Bhujel, who has been steering boats for the past two decades to support her family of six, is now worried about her dwindling income. “The money earned through this profession helps me manage just about two square meals for my family,” she says. “It’s a miracle that I’ve been able to send my four children to school.” Bhujel blames the current system in boat operation along with the frequent bandas for hampering the once lucrative business.

“I bought a boat six years ago for Rs 25,000 but now a similar kind of boat costs around Rs 1,20,000,” shares Bhujel. The sharp rise in costs has prevented the

possibility for most boat steerers at Fewa Lake to invest in new boats thereby

compelling them to make do with what they have.

A syndicate system had first been introduced in 1994 to regulate the boating business. Hari Bhakta Parajuli from Lakeside who has been in the profession for almost two decades comments on how syndicating has curbed the profit-making potential of individual steerers. “Before steerers could keep as many boats as they wanted, but now one can possess no more than five.”

Chairman of the Fewa Boat Association (FBA), Buddhi Bahadur Nepali, however, highlights the premise on which the syndicate system was first established. “Without this system, it would be easy for the more clever steerers to employ a larger fleet of boats and attract more tourists. That would mean taking jobs away from others who depend on the boating profession, but aren’t able to fend for themselves,” he says.

Currently, 750 boats operate under the FBA. Of its 300 members, about 35 percent comprises of women who, like Bhujel, are entirely dependent on boat operation for their livelihood.

As a major tourist destination, Fewa Lake boasts an area of 4.4 sq km offering boat riders panoramic views of lush hills and mountains. While it has long provided enchanting boating experiences for tourists, the industry rests on a foundation with many pitfalls. For instance, the absence of life guards,

oxygen supply, as well as rescue motor boats means that steerers and passengers are vulnerable to risks.

“We have time and again been demanding these vital equipments from concerned authorities but our requests have fallen on deaf ears,” complains Nara Bahadur Shrestha, chief officer of the FBA. The lake has two motor boats, but one is used for fishing while the other, once used by the royal family, sits neglected.

According to a recent survey by Jagadamba Aama Samuha, a local

mothers’ group, 53 people have drowned in the lake till date. The survey identifies the causes of death as the inability to swim, suicide, and carelessness on the passengers’ part. And in addition to this, the survey also points out the role played by the negligence of boatmen ferrying passengers beyond a boat’s capacity.

Aside from administrative issues, the boatmen are also up against environmental problems that threaten their source of livelihood—including climate change and rife pollution, which have resulted in encroachment of the lake. Partly responsible for this are nearby hotels that let their drainage pipes empty into the once pristine lake, according to Krishna KC, Department Head of Geography and Population Studies at the Prithvi Narayan Campus in Pokhara. Besides pollution, sedimentation, and eutrophication, other factors are posing a serious threat to the life of the lake as informed by KC.

Many people agree to the worrisome statement made by KC. “The same lake where we used to quench our thirst has now become so polluted that I am hesitant to even dip my feet in it,” he says.

While stakeholders as well as concerned authorities have been reiterating their commitment to actively promoting and preserving this lake of touristic importance, Fewa’s sorry state exposes a stark reality that tells a very different tale.



1 keer gewijzigd. Laatste wijziging: 11/02/2012 17:11 door Marthijn.