February 22: An under construction Bharat Lake located in wards No 4 and 12 of Bagmati Municipality has turned a tourist destination in Sarlahi. The under construction lake is increasingly luring domestic and foreign tourists.

Bagmati Municipality Mayor Bharat Kumar Thapa says that his municipality has already spent 980 million for the lake construction so far. “The lake requires extra Rs 1 billion budget for its completion and plans are afoot to develop the project as multi-purpose one,” said Mayor Thapa.

Under the multi-purpose project, a hotel with modern picnic spots, jungle safari, Sumeru Parbat with the  temple of Shiva and Parbati, Funpark, mini casino is being constructed, according to Chair Om Bahadur Shrestha of Ward No 12.

Shrestha said that the municipality was developing Bharat Lake as its major source of income. “We are planning to develop the lake as the tourist hub of the Madhes province,” Shrestha added.

The municipality has completed only 20-25 per cent of the construction work in the lake. The municipality has started keeping fish and ducks in the lake to increase its income. “The municipality is working to finish the lake in three years,” Mayor Thapa said.

The municipality has operated multi-purpose project in 121 bigaha of the land where lake construction is underway. Tourists from Nepal and India are visiting the under construction lake. “We are constructing the physical structures that can attract 6 million tourists in a year,” said the municipality.

Around 500 people are employed in the lake right now. As many  40 big and small boats are operating in the lake at the moment.