First phase construction of tourist lake completed

By Our Correspondent,Banepa, Jan. 19: The first phase of the construction of a tourist lake in in Hile Community Forest ‘kha’, located in Banepa Municipality-2 in Kavrepalanchok district, has been completed. 

The project, aimed at attracting tourists, is being carried out under the guidance of the Water Resources and Irrigation Division Office, Kavrepalanchok.

Engineer Kush Budhathoki, Information Officer of the office, informed that the first phase of the tourist lake construction under Hile Jaljale Community Forest is now complete. 

The project is being developed with the assistance of the Bagmati Provincial Government to establish the area as a tourist destination.

In the first phase, gabion check dams were constructed on the Okhare and Kharka rivers near the lake to facilitate the construction of the main dam (lake). 

Budhathoki mentioned that the lake, constructed in the Hile Jaljale Community Forest will be eight metres high, 11.6 metres wide, and 182 metres long. The total area of the lake will cover 0.49 hectares, and it will hold a volume of 14,605 cubic metres, or 146 million litres, of water. 

The Division Forest Office had felled 129 trees to make space for the lake construction.

The construction contract for the first phase was signed on November 24, 2022, with the Victory/Lotus/Tejasvi JV at a cost of Rs. 61,859,000, including VAT, with a completion deadline of two years. 

The construction was completed within the stipulated time. According to the detailed project report (DPR), the total cost for the lake construction, excluding VAT, is expected to be Rs. 169,445,000.

For the second phase, which will involve beautification and additional structures, a multi-year contract has been approved, and the contracting process is underway. 

Budhathoki stated that the provincial and federal governments need to allocate funds to support the next phase of the project.