Himalayan News Service

Mirmi (Syangja), March 19:

The operation of motorboat service in the artificial lake of Kaligandaki ‘A Hydel Project has facilitated over 50,000 people of Syangja, Palpa, Parbat and Gulmi to travel and transport goods. The one-way journey of seven km distance that used to take over three hours of time has now been reduced to only half an hour, says Than Prasad Bhusal, 65, of Ranipani, Parbat.

More delighted are the businessmen who are now relieved from the high cost of transportation of goods. Earlier, they used to pay around Rs 10 to porters to transport a kg of load from Aandhidovan to Setibeni. “Now it costs only 25 paise per kg,” says Bishnu Neupane, a businessman of Setibeni. Setibeni is the meeting point of three zones — Gandaki, Dhaulagiri and Lumbini — and is the commercial hub for over two dozen of VDCs of Syangja, Parbat and Gulmi. The motorboat service has not only facilitated the locals, it has also provided employment to over 100 people.

The Shaligram Region Development Committee (SADC) had started the motorboat and boat service in 2002 but the service was insufficient to cater the need of the locals until Kaligandaki Community Development Committee (KCDC) too started the service in last December. Besides, competition has brought down the travel fare from the earlier Rs 30 per person to Rs 20. Tribikram Heju, secretary at the SADC, said the motorboats currently in operation have capacity to carry 30 to 80 quintals of load. KCDC chairman Him Lal Pandey said a boat consumes 10 litres of diesel in one trip to and from the centre. Pandey said the operation becomes difficult during rainy season. Though, many people have been benefited from the services, the service providers do not have permission to operate the services. Lack of clear legal provision regarding water transportation has posed the problem, they said. Meanwhile, Syangja CDO Durga Prasad Pokharel expressed ignorance about the operation of the services. “We will look into the matter.”