POKHARA, April 2: Preparations are underway to lift restrictions on transfer or sale of land located outside the 65-meter conservation zone around Phewa Lake. The government has moved forward to allow land transactions on properties that fall beyond the 65-meter boundary but have remained restricted until now.
Pokhara, Nepal’s tourism capital, and its main attraction, Phewa Lake, have faced both human and natural encroachment, leading to the introduction of a 65-meter conservation standard. However, in the process of determining this standard, hundreds of ropanis of land outside the designated zone were also placed under restriction. In particular, land beyond the 65-meter boundary in the Kaskikot area (to the north) and Chapakot area (to the west) has been barred from sale or purchase. Although locals repeatedly raised the issue, it remained unresolved. With preparations now underway to lift these restrictions, residents are hopeful that property transactions will finally be permitted.
Mayor of Pokhara Metropolitan City Dhana Raj Acharya said an agreement in principle has already been reached to allow transactions on land outside the designated zone. He added that a formal decision is expected by mid-April.
According to him, the Department of Survey and a technical committee are jointly working to precisely delineate the 65-meter standard. Once the technical committee submits its final report, the Pokhara Valley Town Development Committee (PVTDC) will recommend a decision, after which the metropolitan city will formally endorse it.
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Gandaki Province Chief Minister Surendra Raj Pandey also informed the provincial assembly that the process to permit transactions on land outside the standard is moving forward. Noting that locals have faced difficulties because even land beyond the 65-meter boundary remained restricted, he said it is necessary to open such land for buying and selling.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had issued a mandamus order directing the three tiers of government to demarcate and beautify Phewa Lake. Based on the Bishwa Prakash Lamichhane report, authorities were tasked with delineating the lake basin, maintaining a 65-meter standard from the lake boundary, determining the nature of land within that zone, and removing structures within it. The Pokhara Metropolitan City was assigned demarcation responsibilities, the Gandaki Province government beautification, and the federal government the determination and distribution of compensation.
A decision implementation facilitation committee has since been formed under the coordination of Chief Minister Pandey. So far, the committee has delineated the lake basin and installed 1,055 digital and physical boundary markers. Work is now underway to identify land registered before 1975 and separate it from land registered afterward, which is considered encroached.
According to Chief Minister Pandey, in line with the Supreme Court order, legitimate landowners with registrations before 1975 will receive compensation, while land registered afterward will be annulled. The delay in implementation has been attributed to fires at the Land Revenue and Survey offices during the Gen G movement. The deadline has now been extended, and work has resumed.
The federal government has also prioritized the conservation of Phewa Lake. Included in the list of 100 governance reform initiatives, the issue has drawn attention from Prime Minister Balen Shah, who has sought updates on progress. Chief Minister Pandey expressed confidence that the prime minister’s active interest will accelerate the work.
He stated that while local and provincial governments are carrying out their responsibilities, the determination and distribution of compensation falls under the federal government, which must now focus on that task. According to him, the time has come not just to speak but to act.
According to the committee’s latest measurement, the lake basin and the 65-meter zone together cover 6.343 square kilometers (12,468 ropani, 3 paisa, and 3 daam).
Historical records show that the area of Phewa Lake has continuously decreased—from 10 square kilometers in 1962 to 6 sq km in 1975, 4.43 sq km in 1996, 4.25 sq km in 2001, and 4.2 sq km in 2008.
In its full verdict issued on June 19, 2023, the Supreme Court directed that Phewa Lake’s area be maintained at 5.6 square kilometers. It also ordered the cancellation of land registered after 1975, compensation for land registered before that year, and the removal of structures within the 65-meter zone to allow for beautification.
