Himalayan News Service

Syangja, March 29:

The Local Administration Office yesterday suspended the motorboat service in the artificial lake built on Kaligandaki hydropower project which was operating illegally. The District Administration Office (DAO), Syangja, had issued an instruction to immediately suspend the motorboat service. More than 50,000 people from Palpa, Gulmi, Syangja and Parbat districts were directly or indirectly benefiting from the service. According to the CDO of Syangja, Durga Prasad Pokhrel, the DAO decided to suspend the service after the boat-owners agreed to the proposal at a discussion held with the initiation of the DAO. Of course, the locals relying on the business are definitely losing but there is risk behind its operation as well, he said. “We were very much concerned about the issue after going through a report published in a newspaper last week,” said CDO Pokhrel.

It is also the responsibility of the boat-owners to run the service in a legal manner, he said, adding had they operated the service legally, the DAO would not have given the order. “There is confusion due to lack of proper law with regard to operating motorboats in the rivers,” said Tribikram Hejoo, secretary of Shaligram Area Development Committee who has been operating motorboat services for past three years. The boat-owners, on the other hand, are also hopeful of resuming the service soon, bearing in mind the legal procedures. The motorboats are not only useful in carrying passengers but also help in delivering goods from one bank to another, said Hejoo.