Demarcation of Phewa lake begins to establish actual boundary

By Phadindra Adhikari,Lekhnath, June 3: Phewa Lake, the defining feature of Pokhara's lakeside, is famously linked to the saying, 'No lake, No Lakeside', yet ongoing disputes about its true boundaries have persisted for years.

Phewa Lake's size has been gradually shrinking over the years due to both human encroachment and natural factors.

According to the latest study, the lake now covers an area of 12,468 ropanis, 3 paisa and 3 dam (a local land measurement unit).

As per the Supreme Court’s order, all three levels of government, federal, provincial and local, are now working to establish the lake’s boundaries. After completing the digital mapping of the lake, physical poles have started being installed at Talghar from Saturday to mark the lake’s boundary. 

The Supreme Court has ordered that a 65-metre buffer zone from the lake’s edge must be maintained as a green zone, with all structures within that area to be removed.

Chief Minister of Gandaki Province Surendra Raj Pandey, Pokhara Metropolitan Mayor Dhanraj Acharya and Kaski’s Chief District Officer Bharat Mani Pandey began the demarcation process by placing the first boundary poles. 

The highest water level point of the lake was determined based on a 10-year record from the Kaski Irrigation Division Office and previous lake maps.

Once the demarcation is complete, there is a plan to identify encroached and privately held lands requiring compensation. 

CM Pandey said that the demarcation process will now continue without interruption. “Today marks the start of placing boundary poles in Phewa Lake. This will continue regularly,” he said.

Mayor Acharya stressed that the demarcation follows a long period of surveys and study. A technical subcommittee formed to mark the lake’s limits used GPS and drone survey technology to finalise the boundaries. A total of 1,055 poles will be installed at the lake’s high-water mark.

Mayor Acharya added that the current focus is on identifying the lake’s perimeter, after which further processes will follow. Structures in the encroached zone will have to be removed. For land registered in private names, compensation will be coordinated with the federal government, he said.

Although 10 poles were scheduled to be installed on the first day, protests from locals limited the number to seven. Locals near the lakeshore demanded compensation before boundary poles were placed on their land. 

Tourism entrepreneur Ganesh Bahadur Bhattarai urged the government to work with clear plans and to reassure the public. “We need a master plan outlining what happens after clearing the 65-metre zone. Compensation should come first. Creating fear among people without proper communication is unacceptable,” he said. 

As per the Supreme Court’s ruling, the lake’s demarcation and establishment of a 65-meter green zone should have completed by mid-April 2025. However, the installation of boundary poles has just begun. The area where the first poles were installed on Saturday lies on government land. Installing poles on private land is expected to be much more difficult.

Still, CM Pandey expressed optimism that the demarcation will be completed soon, and encroached and compensable lands will be identified within the current fiscal year.

“By the end of this fiscal year, we will have confirmed the lands requiring compensation and those to be vacated. We will coordinate with the federal government to provide compensation where needed and vacate the encroached areas as per the Supreme Court's ruling,” CM Pandey said.