Tourists urge for risinfrastructures to reach Shey Phoksundo Lake

Kathmandu: Domestic and foreign tourists have demanded the construction of required infrastructures to facilitate reaching the Shey Phoksundo Lake.

There is a strong possibility of attracting tourists by building the required infrastructure from Suligad near the headquarters of Dolpa to the lake, they said.

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 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 meters above sea level, the lake spanning 4.94 square kilometers area lies near Rigmo village of Shey Phoksundo Rural Municipality-8. Although the depth of the lake is said to be 145 meters, the local people claim that it is 650 meters deep. The lake, which changes its color according to the weather, is shaped like the English alphabet Y, and looks like the human lungs.

Although the construction of suspension bridges over most of the 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 (rss).