Pokhara's Phirke River Project Aims to Emulate South Korea's Cheonggyecheon

Pokhara. Currently, Pokhara's Phirke River is being promoted by connecting it to South Korea's Cheonggyecheon River. The Mayor of Pokhara Metropolitan City, Dhanraj Acharya, has put forward an imaginary plan to implement the Cheonggyecheon River project in Phirke.< p>

Cheonggyecheon is a river that was used for highway and sewage discharge for a long time and was developed as a tourist area 23 years ago. Currently, 64,000 people visit daily and 23 million, or 23 million, visit throughout the year. In the last 20 years, more than 330 million, or 330 million, people have visited.< p>

In partnership with the Asian Development Bank, the Metropolitan City aims to operate Pokhara's Phirke in the same condition. If Mayor Acharya's announcement is implemented, an organized footpath, a safe bicycle lane, and an attractive destination for morning and evening walks will be built on both sides of the approximately 8-kilometer-long Phirke River.< p>

• What is Cheonggyecheon?

Cheonggyecheon River is in Seoul, South Korea. The natural river, about 10.9 kilometers long, and its public space were once used for sewage discharge. The natural river, originating from the Sujeongdong valley of Inwangsan, had a highway built over it.< p>

In 2003, the city government started an urban renewal project to remove the express-way and restore the river. This project was completed in 2005. It has been built as a refresh center at a cost of approximately 281 million US dollars (about 42 billion at current rates).< p>

A 20-kilometer-long walkway, 10,419 lights, and approximately 252,000 square meters of green space have been constructed, along with 22 bridges. It is currently popular among tourists visiting Seoul.< p>

• What is Phirke?

Phirke is a river polluted by citizens. Those who know say that the water of Phirke was drinkable directly until two decades ago. In recent years, as structures began to be built in Pokhara by encroaching on the Phirke River, and settlements grew along its banks, Phirke became filled with garbage and sewage. In some places, houses have been built over the river itself. Others near the river also mix sewage into Phirke. The inability to strictly enforce this is a weakness of the state. The problem is even greater with its standards. The Phirke has become unstable due to decisions by the Metropolitan City itself, which has reduced the standard from 10 meters to 5 meters and sometimes to 1 meter.< p>

However, since 2080, a 6-meter standard has been maintained on both sides of Phirke. The Metropolitan City stated that the standard was determined with less cost after the study by experts. In the by-election of 2076, Mayor Man Bahadur GC also agreed to set the standard for Phirke at 1 meter. He made such a compromise to increase votes for his party in the election. Currently, it is not possible to go near the water of Phirke without holding one's nose. Due to Phirke, even Phewa Lake, where tourists from around the world come to visit, is polluted.< p>

• Will Phirke become like Cheonggyecheon?

Currently, Pokhara Metropolitan City is only clearing the riverbanks of Phirke. On the first day, 20 structures were demolished by bulldozers. Mayor Acharya of Pokhara claims that 160 structures will be demolished within the next two days. Clearing the riverbanks will open the path for Phirke's water to flow. Riverbanks alone are not enough to build tourist structures. For this, the standard must be implemented.< p>

The Metropolitan City has implemented a 6-meter standard for Phirke, but there are hundreds of structures within the standard. It cannot be said that Pokhara, which has spent a long time demolishing riverbank structures, will implement the standard immediately. However, if the 6-meter standard is implemented, it will be sufficient for a walkway and some bridges and restaurants in the Phirke corridor.< p>

Initially, the standard for Phirke was 10 meters. Since more than 300 private structures would fall within this, the Metropolitan City is trying to get away with less cost by reducing the standard. "We have the Baglung Highway passing by the side of Phirke. A road for vehicles is not needed next to Phirke," said Mayor Acharya. "Since a road corridor is not needed, even a 6-meter standard will not cause any problems. 20 feet is sufficient."< p>

The conceptual Cheonggyecheon has a standard of 50 to 80 meters. If Phirke is to be made like Cheonggyecheon, the standard determination must be reconsidered.< p>

Pokhara has put forward a plan to develop the Phirke River not just as a place for water to flow, but as a green, clean, modern, and world-class river corridor. Mayor Acharya said that it will be established as public property connected to the daily life, health, entertainment, and tourism of the people of Pokhara. "Just as the Cheonggyecheon River model in South Korea is now known worldwide, we will make Phirke an international-level tourist and entertainment destination," Acharya said. "An organized footpath, a safe bicycle lane, and green belts on both banks will be built here."< p>

He said that a corridor will be constructed by clearing 6 meters of land on both sides of the river.< p>

The plan includes smart LED lighting on the walkway, stone embankments, and eco-friendly public open spaces. Rest areas in Pokhara style, cafes, selfie points, and viewing spots will be specially constructed. The study report mentions that the river will be managed to remove its stench and prevent garbage disposal, and clean water will be allowed to flow throughout the year.< p>

Since the river dries up in winter, there is another plan to mix Yamdi River water into Phirke. For this, the Asian Development Bank will provide 620 million rupees in assistance, Acharya informed. "Once the standard is clear, the construction will be completed within one and a half years of starting the work," he said. "The design of the project is ready. We have some technical reviews to do."< p>

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) had included Phirke in its Sustainable Tourism Development Project for Pokhara. If there were no obstacles, the work would have been completed in 36 months from 2024 to 2026. The project has not started yet. ADB had estimated the project cost at 5 million US dollars, or 764.3 million rupees. In addition, an additional 200,000 US dollars is planned to be spent on capacity building.< p>

The project, which started in 2080, could not move forward due to the non-implementation of the standard. After locals filed a lawsuit against the standard, ADB has become somewhat hesitant. However, Mayor Acharya said that they have not abandoned the work yet. "ADB is in contact. They are still interested in working on this project," he said.