Pokhara locals oppose plan to lease Davis Fall to a private company

POKHARA: Tensions have flared over the controversial decision to lease Pokhara’s iconic tourist site, Davis Falls, to a private company for 40 years.

A public hearing on the project, which had been postponed last week following protests, descended into chaos again on Thursday as locals strongly opposed the plan to hand over the site to a private company. During the event, student leaders affiliated with the Nepali Congress-aligned Nepal Students’ Union were attacked with khukuri knives.

According to eyewitnesses, attackers armed with khukuris and rods targeted student leaders Nirdosh Paudel, Prakash Bastola, Shivir Shrestha and Shivash Shaheel. Locals managed to capture one assailant and handed him over to the police.

Pokhara Metropolitan City (PMC) Mayor Dhanraj Acharya, who was scheduled to address the hearing, could not deliver his remarks and was escorted away to safety.

The hearing was attended by Seti Canyon Pvt Ltd Chairperson Karken Kumar Gurung, PMC Spokesperson Motilal Timilsina, ward chairs from Wards 17 and 22, and other stakeholders.

Gurung began the hearing by presenting the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report of the project. However, the hearing could not proceed further after the locals disrupted proceedings. Before the program could conclude, the knife attack scattered participants.

Davis Falls has been under local management for a long time. The site had been under the management of Chhorepatan Secondary School since 1977. In July 2021, PMC signed a contract with Seti Canyon to build a glass bridge and other infrastructure and manage the site for 40 years. However, the company has failed to start construction even after four years, citing opposition by the local people.

The public hearing scheduled for last week was postponed after the locals chased away officials and tore down banners.

Nepali Congress (NC) leader Devraj Acharya insisted that Davis Falls must remain under PMC management. Stating that the site currently generates around Rs 240 million in annual revenue, he said the PMC’s decision to collect only Rs 20 million per year from Seti Canyon will cause a huge loss to the state. He demanded that the contract signed with Seti Canyon be scrapped immediately.

The PMC took formal ownership of Davis Falls in January last year. In just six months of direct management, it has earned nearly Rs 30 million.

Seti Canyon Chairperson Gurung said the cost of the project, which was initially estimated at Rs 440 million, has now escalated to Rs 660 million due to government delays. He vowed construction would begin within a month despite past hurdles.

PMC Spokesperson Timilsina defended the decision to hand over the site to Seti Canyon, stating that new investment would enhance Davis Falls’ appeal and create jobs for around 100 people. “Most local people support this project. Only a small group is resisting,” he added.