Myagdi, 25 January: Infrastructure construction has begun at the Annapurna Base Camp and Maurice Hargoj Trekking Trail located in Narchyang, Annapurna Rural Municipality-4, Myagdi at a cost of Rs. 12.5 million.
The construction of shelters, toilets, drinking water, trekking trails, tea shops and an open museum has been started with a budget of Rs 10 million from Annapurna Rural Municipality, Rs 2 million from Nepal Tourism Board and Rs 500,000 from Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP). Annapurna Rural Municipality Chairman Bharat Kumar Pun informed that temporary structures are being constructed at Annapurna Base Camp and Panchakunda Lake area.
“Since it falls under the ECAP, there are policy issues in constructing permanent structures, so temporary structures have been constructed for the convenience of tourists,” he said. “The rural municipality has invited tenders for the operation of a food-rich base camp and tea and snack shops on the trekking route.”
Annapurna Chief Administrative Officer Ram Prasad Sharma Kandel said that the survey of the project, cost estimate have been prepared and a consumer committee has been formed. Three shelters are being constructed at a cost of Rs. 4 million in the Sandhikharka, Bhusket, and Panchkunda Lake areas.
Rs 3 million has been allocated for the construction of drinking water and toilets in Humkhola, Phutphute Jharana, Guphaphat, Bhusket and Panchkunda. Rs 1 million each has been allocated for the construction of a tea shop in the Phutphute Jharana area and an open museum in the base camp. The aim of the open museum is to collect and preserve the records in the base camp, said Balkrishna Poudel, Sub-Engineer of Annapurna Rural Municipality.
A user committee has been formed to mobilize Rs 2 million from the Tourism Board, Rs 1 million from the Rural Municipality and Rs 500,000 from the ACAP for the construction and improvement of the trekking route. The team of Chief Administrative Officer Kandel, Sub-Engineer Poudel and Samunta Yadav had visited the base camp last week and returned after inspecting the project construction site.
The infrastructure construction was initiated after tourists heading to the base camp of the 8,091-meter-high Annapurna Mountain, which is far from human settlements and has no hotels or restaurants, faced problems with food, accommodation, and waste management.
According to Lok Bahadur Fagami, ward chairman of Annapurna Rural Municipality-4, around 5,000 domestic tourists visited the Annapurna Base Camp during Dashain-Tihar. He said that initiatives have also been taken to expand the suspension bridge, communication and electricity facilities and set up a tourist check post on the Maurice Hargoj trekking route.
One can reach the base camp by observing the banks of the Mistri Khola River flowing from the foothills of the Annapurna and Nilgiri Mountains, tall waterfalls, beautiful mountain ranges, unique geography, mountains, rare flora, and wildlife. The blue Panchkund Lake at the foothills of the Annapurna Mountains is the attraction of the base camp.
Annapurna Base Camp is a tourist’s favorite because it can be done in a short period of three days. Following the route used by Herzog’s team to climb Annapurna, the fact and trekking route that Annapurna Himal and the base camp are in Myagdi were identified in 2068 BS(2012) under the leadership of Tej Gurung of Narchyang.
The Annapurna Rural Municipality has named the trekking route ‘Maurice Herzog’. A 20-kilometer road has been prepared from Narchyang to Humkhola and a 22-kilometer basic trekking route from Humkhola to the base camp.
