By Our Correspondent
Pashupatinagar, Dec. 25: The first Tehrakune Wetland Festival 2021 has begun in the Tehrakune wetland area of Mai Municipality–1, Ilam from Thursday. The festival, which aims to attract domestic and foreign tourists to the biologically diverse wetland of the Chure region, was inaugurated by Province 1 Chief Minister Rajendra Rai.

According to the Tehrakune Wetland Area Management Committee, the festival will last till Sunday and includes cultural performances and volleyball competition. The festival also has stalls offering various local dishes, informed Kahar Singh Rai, chairman of the Committee.

Speaking at the inauguration, CM Rai highlighted the importance of tourism for the economy and stressed the need for protecting the tourism destinations of the province. “The destinations need to be preserved in their original form to boost tourism,” he said, adding that the provincial government would pay special attention to the promotion and preservation of such places.

On the occasion, Mayor of Mai Municipality Dipak Kumar Thebe expressed the local level’s commitment to working with the provincial and federal governments to develop the 4.39-acre wetland.
To date, various agencies including the President Chure Conservation Programme, Division Forest Office and the Soil and Watershed Management Office of Udaypur have invested around Rs. 4 million for the conservation of the Tehrakune Wetland.
The organisers hope to bring 16,000 to 20,000 domestic tourists to the festival.