Underwater fish tunnel draws crowds at industrial trade fair

By Meena Kandel

Kawasoti, Nov. 17: The Gandaki Provincial-level Industrial Trade Fair and Agricultural Festival has seen a growing audience, with the underwater tunnel aquarium becoming a major attraction.

According to the organisers, within just three days, over 10,000 visitors visited the underwater tunnel aquarium located at Narayani riverside in Gaindakot.

Amrit Bhattachan, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCC) of Gandaki Province, said that the fair, organised under the slogan 'Agriculture, Tourism, Industry and Trade as the Main Basis of Economic Development,' aims to provide a platform for business expansion and to showcase the tourism potential of Gandaki Province.

The tunnel, located inside a dome measuring 200 feet long and 60 feet wide, allows visitors to view fish in a water-filled tunnel aquarium from inside.  

Sushila Kumari Gurung, a local, shared her excitement about the experience, noting that while she had heard about underwater tunnel aquariums under the sea, seeing one in person was a fascinating and entirely new experience.

She mentioned that, for the first time in her life, she was able to enter a water-filled tunnel and observe the fish. 

She added that her children were thrilled to see a variety of fish, ranging from small to large, inside the tunnel aquarium.

The crowd of people visiting the tunnel is growing daily. 

Krishna Sharma Poudel of Rajdhani Amusements Rights Nepal, the company that constructed the underwater tunnel aquarium, explained that it fulfills the desire of Nepalis to experience such an attraction locally, which would otherwise require costly travel abroad.

According to Paudel, provisions have been made for visitors to view the fish in an air-conditioned environment inside the tunnel.

The fish inside the tunnel, some up to six feet long, have been brought from China and other foreign countries.

The fair features approximately 300 stalls showcasing industrial products, handicrafts, agricultural goods, flowers, automobiles and IT products. 

The fair features stalls showcasing activities by various governmental and non-governmental organisations, along with exhibitions of daily consumer goods, household items, clothing and cosmetics.