After the unexpected flood in Kagbeni, the unease lasted throughout the day for Usha Nepali. She couldn’t sleep well even at night due to the constant sound of runningwater. Phirke, a stream is flowing just beside her home which is erected at the area of natural flow of water. The area is locally known as “Kholaghar.”
Usha had been living in this place for a decade. In some places, individual houses and organizations’ building had been erected along with the stream. Currently, a technical survey team has finished the measurement of Kholaghar on Sunday. From PokharaBeshi to Gaighat, within stream’s area, there are 147 structure in Kholaghar.
Tarapati Regmi is making house in Kholaghar in Parsyang. “I have no land in any other places. Here I have invested 3.5 million,” he said. But, he is always in fear of stream and municipality authority. Bishnu Maya Kumal, inhabitant of PokharaBeshi, has said that if Kholaghar’s area made clear, they would become homeless. Now her husband is in Malaysia and they had invested more than two millions in their house.
The Survey Team has started its work from July 19. BasudevPoudel, the head of the survey team, provided information that they had made 239 points and installed 584 poles to separate Kholaghar. The stream varies from three to four meters wide in some places, while in others, it is as wide as 30 to 40 meters.
The team shared stories of struggles involving digging the soil, fear of snakes, leeches and mosquitos. During the measurement period, the locals expressed their frustration for repeated surveys conducted by the municipality but without any notable progress.
Dhanraj Acharya, mayor of Pokhara Metropolitan City, informed that after the submission of report by survey team, new criteria will be made public for Phirke. Before implementing the shifted project, the committee has been preparing for the application of the measurement criteria. While Asian Development Bank (ADB) is cooperating with the municipality, an attractive destination is being planned for this area. Mayor Acharya explained, “Once the site is cleared, cycle lanes will be built on both sides, check dams and lighting will be installed in various places.”
PhirkeKhola flows through PokharaBeshi, Baglung Bus Park, Malepatan, 0 KM, Simalchaurand Paradi, ultimately merging into the FewaLake. Approximately 8 kilometers longPhirke’s water originates from the forest of Sarangkot.
Despite the challenges, some structures serve commercial purposes, while others have educational buildings. Some of these buildings, including Lion’s Pokhara Fishtail City, have even been on rented .
Professor Doctor Bishow Shrestha, a renowned geographer, remembered that he hadswum in the Phirke in his childhood. He acknowledges the vulnerability of this area due to its geography. Frequent landslides occur around the region, and the risk of floods and erosion is high.
When PhirkeKhola reaches Gaighat in Fewalake, there is a strong odor due to the presence of contaminated water. The area is littered with garbage, plastic, and pollutants brought by water. Phirke, with its sand, clay, and stone, has significantly reduced the lifespan of the Fewa Lake too.
