By Indira Aryal
Bhaktapur, Mar. 26: The 300-year-old historic ponds Nigu Pukhu, locally called ‘dui pokhari’ (two ponds) in Madhyapur Thimi Municipality, has been restored to its original state from Wednesday.
The Municipality has reconstructed its historic pond and turned it into the original form by filling it with water, which was a football ground and invaded by grass and weeds until two years ago.
The municipality has started a conservation campaign of the famous historical Nigu Pukhu and its surrounding party-pauwas (resting places) at an estimated cost of Rs. 130 million. The reconstruction of the two ponds was completed at Rs. 30 million, said Mayor of the Municipality Madan Sundar Shrestha.
After completing the reconstruction, water has been filled for the upcoming Biska Jatra on Baishak 1 (festival is celebrated at the start of the New Year in the Bikram Sambat calendar). The municipality had completed the reconstruction of one of the two ponds and filled it with water for the last Biska Jatra.
According to Mayor Shrestha, the ponds have been constructed using Dachi Appa bricks known as teliya ita so that the water does not dry out.
The ponds have been reconstructed in the traditional style by placing six inches of black clay, three inches of normal clay on top of that and again another six inches of black clay and Dachi Appa on the very top. Local consumers’ group has been mobilised for the reconstruction of the ponds, he said.
According to the municipality, there is a plan to recharge two ponds with water by treating the rainwater. We are also planning to collect rainwater from Rajganesh to Digu Bhairav ​​in the municipality. The water will be discharged into the ponds after the treatment process.
Rupesh Shrestha, a resident of Ward No. 4 of the municipality, said that he had never seen such beauty in the area before. “The wells in the area were about to dry, but after filling water in the ponds, wells have started to recharge. The area looks so clean and misty after filling water in both the ponds,” he said.
Now people have started walking around the ponds, doing morning and evening walks, while children are seen happily playing with the water, old people are found talking to each other sitting nearby the ponds. It seems like the city is getting a new life, Shrestha said.
The pond had turned into grassland and a playground due to lack of protection and conservation. “We are happy to see the progress of the municipality and it is going to be another tourist destination in the district soon,” he said.
The Bagmati state government has allocated around Rs. 3.9 million for the conservation and restoration of the northern pond, which is twice as large as the southern one. The pond on the south side is five feet deep and the one on the north side is seven feet deep.
After the completion of reconstruction and filling up with water, the bigger pond will be opened for boating. “We are planning to develop it as an attractive tourist destination for internal and external tourists,” he said.
It is said that Ganga Maharani established the two ponds about 300 years ago and provided water
sources to the people of Madhyapur Thimi. Both the ponds had been turned into grassland in 2015 BS to welcome King Mahendra to the area.
There are 25 ponds in the municipality and seven of them are in the process of reconstruction, Mayor Shrestha said.