Voters in Kaski's Constituency 3 Demand Infrastructure, Tourism Solutions Ahead of Elections

Kaski's Constituency 3 encompasses three local levels of the district. It includes the entirety of Annapurna Rural Municipality and Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality, along with 11 wards from Pokhara Metropolitan City.

The Annapurna Base Camp (ABC), which garners worldwide interest and attention for mountain tourism, and Lakeside, Pokhara's main tourist hub, fall within this constituency. Among the wards in the Pokhara Metropolitan City area included are Wards 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6, which constitute Pokhara's main market areas. Furthermore, Wards 18 Sarangkot, Ward 19 Lamachaur, Puranachaur, Ward 22 Pumdi, Ward 23 Chapakot, parts of Bhadaure, Ward 24 Kaskikot, and Ward 25 Hemja are considered the rural areas here.

Voters in the urban areas are seeking commitments from election candidates regarding the development of well-managed and equipped cities. In contrast, voters in rural areas plan to make the issue of not receiving adequate services despite paying municipal taxes a key election issue. Voters are preparing to seek long-term solutions for the growing monkey menace in rural areas, which is forcing residents to abandon their settlements. Systematic agricultural development can be achieved in areas like Hemja, which is known as the potato village of this constituency.

Many wards in the Annapurna and Machhapuchhre Rural Municipalities in this constituency are still awaiting basic infrastructure such as roads and pathways, while among the wards in the Metropolitan City, Ward 22 Pumdi, 23 Chapakot, and parts of Ward 24 Kaski are still awaiting significant development.

Local residents state that they will seek commitments from candidates in the upcoming elections regarding infrastructure development alongside issues concerning education, health, tourism, and livelihood. Local voter and journalist Tankaprasad Adhikari states that the Annapurna and Machhapuchhre Rural Municipalities possess immense potential for mountain tourism. He emphasized the need to focus on developing tourism-friendly infrastructure in this area.

Ghandruk and Chomrong in Annapurna Rural Municipality, leading to Machhapuchhre Base Camp and Annapurna Base Camp (ABC), are attractive destinations for mountain and Himalayan tourism. Adhikari further mentioned that trekking routes like the Mardi Trail in Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality are unique destinations for trekking tourism. Dilip Gurung, Secretary of the Chomrong Tourism Management Committee, states that while the area is naturally attractive, the increasing impact of climate change due to geographical remoteness adds challenges like natural disasters every year.

He stressed the necessity of addressing the challenges posed by periodic snowfall, blizzards, and avalanches, stating that confronting this challenge is the current imperative for the region. He noted that the Annapurna Base Camp trek, ranked among the world's top 10, is still not fully accessible to all types of tourists.

Secretary Gurung mentioned the need for permanent bridges over the Hinku Khola and Modi River along the trekking route and stated that commitments on these matters would be sought from upcoming election candidates. "There is a major communication problem in this area," he said, "Easy access to communication along with electrification is another serious problem here." He added that connecting the national electricity line up to Annapurna Base Camp from Chomrong above the trekking route has not been achieved, making electrification an essential requirement for this area. Religious tourist destinations in the route towards Annapurna Base Camp include the religiously significant Pujanyam Baraha, Kanchi Baraha in Lumle, and Taal Barahi in Fewa Lake.

Tara Nath Pahari, Chairman of the Pokhara Tourism Council, states that the challenges for this area include developing tourism in Annapurna and Machhapuchhre Rural Municipalities alongside preserving the natural beauty of Lakeside and Fewa Lake, Pokhara's main tourist destination. He mentioned that local residents are facing problems because the state is attempting to implement the Fewa Lake standard without providing appropriate compensation and indemnity to the locals. He stated that locals will seek commitments from candidates who come seeking votes in the upcoming elections on these issues.

"Previously, under the guise of building a footpath, some people's land along the Fewa Lake shore was included within the lake area," he said. "For the implementation of the Fewa standard, the state must convince the locals with proper evidence and provide appropriate compensation and indemnity."