Tourists demand construction of required infrastructures to reach Shey Phoksundo Lake

Jajarkot, Oct 29: Domestic and foreign tourists have demanded the construction of required infrastructures to facilitate reach the Shey Phoksundo Lake. There is strong possibility of attracting tourists by building required infrastructures from Suligad near the headquarters of Dolpa to the lake, they reasoned. Presently, tourists visiting the lake go through the district headquarters of Jajarkot and the Mid-Hill Highway, and reach and stay a night in the district headquarters of Dolpa before reaching the lake.

To reach the lake, the Suligad river is crossed through a dozen dilapidated wooden bridges. Life is at risk crossing the river through the dilapidated wooden bridges, said Ram Prasad Khatri of Nalgad Municipality-8. One can reach Dunai of Dolpa by a means of transport. The lake can be reached in two days on foot from Suligad. It would be feasible for domestic and foreign tourists to reach the lake if there is a concrete bridge over the Suligad river and a reliable trekking route, said stakeholders.

At an elevation of 3,600 metres above sea level, the lake spanning 4.94 square kilometres area lies near Rigmo village of Shey Phoksundo Rural Municipality-8. Although the depth of the lake is said to be 145 metres, the local people claim that it is 650 metres deep. The lake, which changes its colour from time to time according to the weather, is shaped an English letter Y, and its another feature is it looks like a human lung. Visitors should use the footpath from the Shey Phoksundo Lake, Shey Phoksundo National Park, Phoksundo Waterfall and Upper Dolpa Suligad.

Local people have given various names to the areas like Kathepul, Thoso, Lapku and Sankul. Although the construction of suspension bridges over most of rivers continues in Dolpa, there are wooden bridges from Suligad to Phoksundo leading to the lake. Although suspension bridges have been built along the footpath from Suligad to the lake to facilitate the mobility of local people and tourists, traditional wooden bridges should be preserved, said Nima Lama, ward chair of Shey Phoksundo Rural Municipality. As the area is a trekking route, the stakeholders should stress the need for the preservation of wooden bridges to attract tourists, he viewed.