Authorities Demolish Illegal Structures at Waterfront Resort in Pokhara

Pokhara. On Saturday, bulldozers were deployed to demolish parts of the Waterfront Resort as part of the enforcement of Phewa Lake's zoning regulations. The resort, owned by prominent businessman Karna Shakya, is located in Sedi, Pokhara-18, formerly part of the Sarangkot VDC.

According to a recent Supreme Court ruling, the resort has encroached upon public land. The court ordered the demolition, noting that the resort lacked building permits and that many of its structures fall within the 65-meter restricted zone.

'It appears that a recommendation letter was written without a formal decision from the Town Development Committee. The claim by Park Village Waterfront Resort Pvt. Ltd. that construction was based on a recommendation from the Pokhara Valley Town Development Committee dated 2066/05/24, issued by an unauthorized person without a specified official capacity, is neither logical nor lawful,' the mandamus order stated.

Many of the resort's structures, including the water purification tank, swimming pool, adjacent toilets, trusses, gardens, parking area, main gate, and guard house, were found to be within the 65-meter limit. An investigation report also indicated that plots 173, 304, and 305, currently occupied by the resort, are public land. 'The investigation shows that plots 173, 304, and 305 are public land. Since the Land Revenue Act, 2034, Section 24, automatically invalidates land records related to Phewa Lake and its banks from 2018 to 2031, the registration records created in violation of this are hereby quashed,' the order stated.

The court issued a final order to remove all such structures. 'As the majority of the structures built by the opponent, Park Village Waterfront Resort Pvt. Ltd., fall within 65 meters of Phewa Lake's high-flood level, and given that the hotel and building permits were not obtained legally and the structures were built on public land, all unauthorized structures must be removed for the long-term cleanliness, beauty, and conservation of Phewa Lake,' the final order read. Based on this verdict, the resort's swimming pool area was demolished on Saturday.