POKHARA: On the occasion of World Tourism Day, Western Regional Hotel Association (WRHA), Pokhara has organised a clean-up programme to remove water hyacinth from Phewa Lake, on Sunday.

Water hyacinth is a free-floating perennial plant that can grow to a height of 3 feet.

The famed Lake has become polluted because of water hyacinth for a long time.

Water hyacinth, by blanketing the Phewa Lake, has killed the beauty of popular tourist destination.

Every year, the campaign to remove the wild weeds from the Phewa Lake is organised, but the campaign has not produced satisfying results.

Bhart Raj Parajuli, Chairman of WRHA, informed that dozens of organisations have been established to remove the plants off the Lake. However, the condition of the Lake is same, he lamented.

Considering the problems caused by water hyacinth in Pokhara tourism sector, tourism businesspersons organise the cleaning campaign every year, informed tourism and hotel entrepreneur Bhekendra Kumar Shrestha.

Though locals blame concerned stakeholders including tourism entrepreneurs for the problem, Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) and Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) among others are involved in hyacinth removal programmes annually.

The wild weeds have been creating a problem to the boating business also, stated Phewa Boat Entrepreneurs Organisation Chairman, Budhhi Bahadur Nepali.