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Shey-Phoksundo Lake, the country's deepest lake, also known as the blue diamond, continues to attract domestic and foreign tourists despite constant fall in temperature here.

Chief Conservation Officer at Shey-Phoksundo National Park Nurendra Aryal informed that a total of 1,632 tourists, both domestic and foreign, visited the Phoksundo Lake area between mid-July and mid-October.

Number of domestic tourists visiting the panoramic lake is higher in comparison to the foreign tourists. In the last five months, 326 tourists from SAARC and other countries visited Shey-Phoksundo, generating revenue of Rs 1.053 million, he said.

According to the Park, revenue of Rs 6.57 million has been collected from the sale of forest produce, eco-tourism and charges since the beginning of the current fiscal year till October.

Laxman Devkota, a local of Tripurasundari Municipality-1, said the number of domestic tourists has been increasing in the last few years as Dolpa is a place of beautiful religious and tourist destinations like Phoksundo Lake, Tripurasundari Temple, She-Gumba and Dho Tarap.

He said the number of tourists would increase significantly if Nepalgunj-Dolpa flights are regularized, Bheri corridor is improved and hotels are properly arranged.

According to hoteliers of Dunai, the district headquarters, Dolpa will benefit from domestic tourists rather than foreigners in terms of trade and business promotion.

Most of the tourists come here on motorcycles as they can easily reach Dunai by motorcycle and other vehicles through Nepalgunj-Surkhet-Jajarkot-Rukum route.

The westerly winds have general impacts across the country.

According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, the weather will be partly cloudy in the hilly region and fair in remaining parts of the country.

Foggy weather has occurred in some places of the Tarai and hilly regions. Temperature is steadily dropping in the Kathmandu Valley. This morning the minimum temperature was 8 degrees Celsius, which has now improved slightly to 10 degrees Celsius.

The Department has predicted maximum temperature to remain between 19 and 21 degrees Celsius in the federal capital today.

According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division, the weather will be partly cloudy in the hilly regions of Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki and Karnali Provinces and fair in the rest of the country. 

Light rain is likely to occur at one or two places of the hilly regions of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces and light snowfall at one or two places of the high hilly and mountainous regions of Koshi and Gandaki Provinces.

Similarly, the weather will be partly cloudy in the hilly regions of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces tonight. Light rain is likely to occur at one or two places of the hilly regions of Koshi and Gandaki Provinces.

Light to moderate rain is likely to occur at one or two places of the hilly regions of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces and light snowfall at one or two places of the high hilly and mountainous regions of Koshi and Gandaki Provinces in the next 24 hours.

Nepal is set to host the 6th Asian Population Association (APA) Conference from Nov 27 to 30, 2024, at Hotel Soaltee in Kathmandu. This event, organized by the APA in collaboration with Tribhuvan University’s Central Department of Population Studies (CDPS), will focus on critical demographic issues such as migration, aging, and fertility, alongside emerging topics like climate-induced displacement.  

Dr Bijaya Mani Devkota, a statistician and associate professor at CDPS, highlighted Nepal’s unique demographic challenges, with an annual population growth rate of 1.9 percent reshaped by migration and declining birth rates. Another CDPS professor, Dr Uddhav Sigdel, emphasized the imbalance in Nepal’s population distribution, with 54 percent of the population concentrated in the Terai, which constitutes only 23 percent of the country’s land.  

The conference will also address the impact of climate change on population dynamics, with rising temperatures in the Terai and frequent natural disasters driving internal migration to the hills and mountains.  

Padma Prasad Khatiwada, representing the National Organizing Committee, noted that foreign participants would receive extensive support, including free SIM cards for seamless communication, which can be collected at the APA Help Desk at Tribhuvan International Airport.  

With policymakers, researchers, and academics from across Asia attending, the conference aims to deliver actionable recommendations for addressing demographic challenges. Experts believe it will bolster Nepal’s role in shaping regional population policies while addressing pressing national issues.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is to assist in the reconstruction of the Kavre Valley Integrated Water Supply Scheme (KVIWSS) after it was damaged by the floods and landslides triggered by incessant rains on September 27 and 28.

The scheme is under construction for improving the water supply to three old cities in the district – Banepa, Panuti and Dhulikhel.

The ADB's commitment for support to the water supply scheme was made following a discussion on Monday between ADB officials including its Country Director for Nepal, Arnaud Cauchois and a team from the KVIWSS comprising its Board Chairman and Dhulikhel Municipality Mayor, Ashok Byanju.

The floods and landslides had devastated the water supply project which had reached the final phase of completion. Mayor Byanju said, after the meeting with ADB officials, that ADB has expressed its commitment for assistance for the reconstruction of the water supply scheme.

According to him, ADB has pledged to prepare the detailed project report and to provide financial assistance for the reconstruction of the project.

Mayor Byanju said the natural disaster damaged the water supply infrastructure including the project's in-take, water tank and the distribution mains and branch pipes. The damage was worth Rs 218 million.

KVIWSS was launched in 2012 to solve the drinking water supply-related problems in Dhulikhel, Banepa and Panauti towns.

It is projected that 140, 000 people of the three towns would be benefited from the project due for completion in 2024, with 24-hours water supply in taps at their homes.

The project cost is Rs 990. 80 million without adding VAT.

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