Gadbijula Lake in Kanchanpur Faces Existential Threat Due to Inter-Municipal Boundary Dispute

Gadbijula Lake, situated on the border between Krishnapur Municipality and Laljhandi Rural Municipality in Kanchanpur, is facing an existential crisis due to bickering between the two local levels and a lack of conservation efforts. The natural heritage site has fallen prey to encroachment because the boundary dispute, ongoing for years, has prevented its preservation.

This massive lake, which once spanned an area of 22 bighas, is now confined to only about five bighas. Due to a lack of conservation, a large portion of the lake is being filled up, while the remaining area is witnessing intense human encroachment. According to local resident Lalsingh Bohara, the delay in technically determining which municipality the lake falls under has created an obstacle to its conservation.

Both municipalities claim ownership, stating that the lake falls either in Krishnapur Municipality-2 or Laljhandi Rural Municipality-5. Locals complain that while both bodies fight over ownership, neither takes any action for conservation, leading to the lake's existence being wiped out.

More than 50 families are residing on the land east of the lake. Cultivation is being carried out on the encroached lake land. Locals state that the chain of encroachment began after settlements became denser around the lake following the year 2054 BS. According to local Gopal Singh Mahara, the process of filling the lake has accelerated due to the increasing practice of cultivating on the encroached land. Expressing sorrow, Mahara said, "This lake used to be very deep and clear; now it looks like a field." As the lake's area shrinks, it is also negatively impacting the groundwater level in the surrounding areas.

With the destruction of the natural lake, the local biodiversity is also on the verge of extinction. The habitat of water birds and other wildlife dependent on the wetland area is in crisis. According to local Bhajani Rana, various species of migratory birds that used to be seen at the lake during winter a few years ago are no longer visible due to the settlements. As the water source dries up, the entire ecosystem around the lake is destabilized.

Before the country transitioned to a federal structure, the then District Development Committee Kanchanpur used to lease this lake and earn revenue from it. After natural resources came under the purview of local levels, both municipalities attempted to use it as a source of income but are hesitant to take full responsibility. Despite repeated initiatives by the District Coordination Committee Kanchanpur to resolve the boundary dispute, no concrete results have been achieved.

According to Durga Dutt Bohara, Chief of the District Coordination Committee, even though meetings were held multiple times with representatives from both municipalities, the implementation process has appeared weak.

"We had reached an agreement to appoint representatives from both executive bodies to survey the land and settle the dispute," Chief Bohara said, "but the practice of signing agreements without implementing them has put Gadbijula Lake in jeopardy." Hemraj Ojha, Mayor of Krishnapur Municipality, stated that the Gadbijula Lake area has remained under the municipality's ownership since it was a Village Development Committee.

"Previously, that area was forest land; there were no human settlements," he said, "After the reserve displaced population settled around the lake, Laljhandi Rural Municipality started claiming half the lake, leading to the dispute." He added that an agreement was reached to resolve the issue by summoning a survey team from the Survey Department to confirm the boundary, as both municipalities claim the lake.

If the large and naturally beautiful Gadbijula Lake could be conserved and developed as a tourist destination, it could become a major source of income for both municipalities. Locals believe that reviving the lake would add a new dimension to Kanchanpur's tourism.

In its current state, the lake has become a victim of a boundary dispute between two municipalities. If the boundary is not demarcated by a technical team in time and encroachments are not removed, Gadbijula Lake appears set to be confined only to maps within a few years.