Even when motorboats are operating illegally in Panchhi Araksh Jagdishpur Lake, the regulatory agency Division Forest Office has neglected to stop them. Despite the information that motorboats have been operating since May 5th, the Division Forest Office has not taken any initiative to stop them.

When the notice was published calling for tenders for fish contracts in the lake, the Division Forest Office, which immediately stopped the correspondence, has not been able to stop the illegal motorboats . The silence of the Division Forest Office has made illegal activities more emboldened. 

The state-of-the-art 10-seater (with driver) motorboat has been operating in the country's second bird reserve lake for a month, and the bird's habitat has been destroyed.  This has caused problems for aquatic animals, amphibians and reptiles and their habitats have been fragmented .

A non-governmental organization called Jagdishpur Reservoir Management Multi-Stakeholder Forum is operating a motorboat in Jagdishpur Lake, which is listed in the World Frontier Zone. In spite of the fact that there is a provision that activities affecting them cannot be carried out in places that are listed in the world's marine areas due to biological diversity, wetlands and birds, the forum has imposed a forced contract. Motorboats have been operating on the lake since May 5 after the contract was awarded by the platform. Earlier also, a contract was made to run lake motorboat from 28th Kartik 080 . However, after 10 days of the week, Division Forest Office Kapilvastu banned motorboat operation. 

This time too, the information about the operation of illegal motorboats was informed on time to Ishwari Prasad Paudel, Forest Officer of the regulatory agency Division Forest Office. However, he has not written a letter to stop it. "I had instructed verbally", he said, "I understand what happened."

His instructions have been ignored by the Jagdishpur reservoir management multi-stakeholder platform. Now a motorboat is driven across the lake at a speed of 50/60 km . While a part of the western bank was set aside to run 5 pedal boats . The

platform has given a contract for 8 lakh 55 thousand rupees for one year (Vaisakh-Chait). The contract has been taken by Vinod Pal of Mayadevi Rural Municipality. Even though it is legally his name, 3/4 of the stage has a share in the contract. When driving a motorboat at high speed across the lake, the bird is scared and runs away. Ornithologist Krishna Prasad Bhusal said that when driving a motorboat, the waves are raised like in the sea, and all the noises are affecting the birds. He said that the smoke and noise emitted by motorboats are also affecting birds, wildlife and biological diversity. 

In the 5-year action plan made by the District Forest Office, arrangements have been made to run 5 pedal boats . There is no provision for driving motorboats . Assistant Forest Officer Sant Thing said verbal instructions were given not to drive motorboats.   

Manch had been contracting pedal boats here since 1976. In October 2080, a motorboat was bought and brought from Sarlahi for 1.3 million. 500,000 has been supported by Kapilvastu Municipality. The remaining amount of 8.5 million was paid from the amount received from the contract for operating the boat last year and the previous year. 

The contract process done this year to run five pedal boats along with one motorboat is also not transparent . The previous year's contract was for 10 lakh 50 thousand, this year it is for 8 lakh 55 thousand . In the second notice, 3 people have spoken for 8 lakh 51 thousand, 8 lakh 53 thousand and 8 lakh 55 thousand, and the latter has been given . 150 rupees per person for 4/5 minutes round trip by motorboat  is raised . 

In 2078, the complaint that pedal boat operation was illegal and non-transparent was received at the Butwal office of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority. The Authority investigated and directed the Division Forest Office to close the boat immediately. Three  Even after a year, the pedal boat has not been closed . More motorboats have been added.  In 2014, the

lake has also received the Equator Award for the exemplary work done by women on how to reduce poverty while protecting biological diversity. The United Nations Environment Fund gave the award at the 69th General Assembly of the United Nations. The sponsor of the award was the famous Brazilian supermodel Gisele Vandchen.

Senior ornithologist Dr. Jagdishpur, which was once considered a bird's paradise, is alarming to see the condition of the guest birds. Hemsagar Baral said. "In the name of development, Jagdishpur has gone towards destruction," he said, "Now the biological diversity and bird attraction here cannot be returned." He said that the number of water birds has been decreasing for the last 4 years in the lake which was sheltering the most water birds in Nepal till 5/6 years ago. 

In 2019/20, only 8,000 water birds were counted last year where 20,000-22,000 water birds were given shelter. Human activity has increased in the lake after motorboat operation. Passengers have become alarmed as they teased and chased the bird through the motorboat. When the speeding motorboat reaches them, they leave the place and run away . Lumbini State Forest Secretary Pramod Bhattarai said that after understanding what has happened, he will instruct the Division Forest Office to stop the wrongdoing.

operation without decision

There is no decision from anywhere about allowing motorboats to operate . 5 years integrated  The management plan also mentions that motorboats cannot be operated. The Jagdishpur Bird Sanctuary Management Committee under Division Forest Office has no information . The Division Forest Office has also not been informed . 

Ramsaware Yadav, Vice President of Jagdishpur Lake Reservoir Management Multi-Stakeholder Forum, said that the contract was awarded after the locals demanded to operate the motorboat. He claimed that he operated the motorboat by determining the area where the birds do not live. "Motorboats should not be used in places listed in the Ramsar zone," said ornithologist Hathan Chaudhary, "Now the beauty of Jagdishpur will be lost." It became a good destination for foreign tourists.' 

Repeated encroachment attempts

Even before this, the natural charm of the lake was being put in danger for beautification. The Reservoir Management Multi-stakeholder Forum started placing a tall Buddha statue in the middle. An earthen mound 70 feet round and 15 feet high was built in the middle of the lake for the statue a decade ago. The plan was shelved after massive protests.  

Head of Lumbini Forest Directorate Yagyamurthy Khanal said that no work can be done without impact assessment in the Ramsar area. Increasing human encroachment on the lake will affect birds and aquatic mammals. He said that it is against the Ramsar Convention. "When there is a big lake, they can have fun everywhere," turtle and reptile expert professor Karan Bahadur Shah said, "they also feel safe." 

Jagdishpur lake is spread over 157 hectares among the 10 border areas of Nepal listed in the Ramsar zone. The lake, built for irrigation purposes, has now become the country's best bird-watching spot. Migratory birds, different species of fish, amphibians, wild animals found around, plants are the main biological diversity here .

According to a study conducted by IUCN Nepal, 43 species of fish, 10 species of amphibians, 42 species of reptiles and 32 species of mammals are found in this area. Similarly, 167 species of birds are found in the lake area. Among them, 92 species of birds, 9 species come in summer, 64 species of birds come in winter and 3 species of birds are partial migrants. The world's rarest water cat and 8 species of birds are also found here. 

Lumbini State Forest Act-2078, Chapter 11, Section 45, the state government has declared a bird reserve three years ago according to the provision that any area within the state can be declared a bird reserve or a biological route for the protection of the habitat of rathana and visiting birds and endangered wildlife and wildlife movement.  When the

lake became an important border area, the Ramsar Secretariat listed it as a world border area of ​​international importance in 2003 at the initiative of the Government of Nepal. In the lake, you can see the most birds standing in one place in Nepal . It has been providing shelter to the largest number of birds that migrate to Nepal in winter. Winter visitors from Russia, China, Mongolia as well as Europe, Korea and Tibetan region come here.