Area of Fewa Tal: Dozen studies, dozen findings

Punya Poudel, coordinator of the committee formed to demarcate Fewa, said the new report was the most scientific

APEX BUREAU
APEX BUREAU
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Chief Minister of Gandaki Province Prithvi Subba Gurung on February 28 made public a demarcation report of Fewa Tal. The provincial government, under the coordination of the then District Development Committee Chairman Punya Prasad Poudel, had finalized the report on the famous lake, a major tourist attraction of the region.

Making the report of the ‘Fewa Tal Demarcation and Mapping Committee’ public, minister Subba informed that the area of ​​Fewa Tal is 5.726 sq. km, which is lesser than the area demarcated by a 1982 joint study of the Government of Nepal and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), which capped the area of Fewa Tal at 5.80 sq. km.

Punya Poudel, coordinator of the committee, informed the press that the new report is the most scientific. According to a report prepared by the British Survey of India in 1925-1926, the area of ​​Fewa Tal was 3.46 sq. km. Then, in a report prepared by the Survey of India in 1957-1958, the area changed to 4.39 sq. km.

Among all the surveys conducted to measure the area of the Fewa Lake, the report of the Nepal-India Cooperation Mission from 1971-1972 shows the Fewa as expanding over a whopping 10.35 sq. km. But based on available scientific facts and maps, the members of the current study team concluded that never in the history was Fewa Tal so big.

Khim Lal Gautam, member secretary of the committee and chief survey officer of the Survey Office, Kaski, informs that the lake area was calculated based on previous studies, scientific facts and evidences. The committee also analyzed the height of the Fewa Dam and the area covered by water during the rainy season. The demarcation report has been prepared on the basis of physical (electrical resistivity tomography) study.

Area of ​​Fewa Tal in a dozen study reports

1: British Survey of India (1925-1926): 3.46 sq. km.

2: Survey of India (1957-1958): 4.39 sq. km.

3: Report of Nepal-India Cooperation Mission (2018): 10.35 sq. km.

 4: First Fort Napi, Lot No. 297 (1976-1977): 4.43 sq. km.

5: Government of Nepal and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Study Report (1982/1983): 5.80 sq. km

6: IUCN Study Report (1995): 4.49 sq. km.

7: District Development Committee Kaski B.Sc. (2005): 4.25 sq. km.

8: Pokhara Valley Urban Development Committee (2008): 5.06 sq. km.

9: Vishwaprakash Lamichhane’s Report (2013): 6.5 sq. km.

10: Ministry of Land Reforms (2015):  5.07 sq. km.

11: Pokhara Municipal Corporation (2021): 5.08 sq. km.

12: Committee formed to demarcate Fewa Tal (2021): 5.726 sq. km.