Pokhara—The Supreme Court of Nepal Sunday ordered Nepal Government to remove the illegally constructed structured that have encroached the Phewa Lake in Pokhara. As per the verdict, the total area of Phewa Lake reaches 12874 ropanis. This area is the same which was mentioned in the report prepared by Bishwa Prakash Lamichhane led commission formed during a premiership of Dr. Baburam Bhattarai who received that report on BS 2069 Jeth 3.
The verdict by a division bench of justices Omprakash Mishra and Sapana Malla was a result of writ petition filed by advocate Khagendra Subedi some 8 years ago. The order also includes the formation of a high level strong committee to probe the encroached land of Phewa. As per the then decision of Pokhara Valley Urban Development Committee and the then District Development Committee Kaski–no structure should be built within the 65-meter of Phewa banks is also the part of the order.
As per the then PVUDC chairman Lamichhane commission, some 1692 ropanis of underwater land was registered in the names of over 950 persons during a survey of 2034 BS. That amount of land was registered by individuals as Phewa dam collapsed in 2031 BS and water level came down. That land was submerged again as the dam was reconstructed.
More than 200 huts, restaurants and hotels have been built within the 65 distance from Phewa banks. The verdict also orders to remove all those structures and to bring back all the land that had been registered by individuals. The verdict also ordered not to build cable car from Basundhara Park that situated in the banks of Phewa Lake.
In 2018 BS, Phewa Lake has 10 square Km area but in 2064 BS it reduced to 4.20 square Km. In 1957 BS, the lake had covered around 22,000 ropanis of land but 9955 ropanis now. Following the verdict of apex court, Pokhara Lekhnath Metropolitan City Mayor Man Bahadur GC said that his office would try to unified all the funds formed in the name of Phewa conservation.
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