The authority of Rara National Park in Mugu has decided to relocate the physical infrastructure built near Rara Lake to lessen its impact on the park’s pristine environment.

Spread over an area of 106 square kilometres, the smallest national park of the country was established in 1976, primarily for the conservation of the country’s largest lake, Rara.

The infrastructure built over the years at Hutu, near the lake, will be relocated to Upper Mili Chaur, around half an hour's walking distance from the lake.

Officials say that Rs5.9 million has been allocated in the current fiscal year to construct the park’s office in Mili Chaur.

Bishwa Babu Shrestha, conservation officer at the park, said that Mili Chaur has enough space to accommodate all infrastructure. He said that the area could also provide space for organising sports activities.

“No one will be allowed to build structures near the lake now,” said Shrestha.

As per the circular from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, the Nepal Army’s barracks and a hotel, among other structures near the lake, would be relocated elsewhere within the next five years.

“Work has begun to shift the army barrack in Mili Chaur to Tarapani in Soru Rural Municipality. Other barracks will also be shifted to the buffer zone of the park,” said Shrestha.

Currently, there are six army barracks in the national park, including in Lama Chaur and Salleri.

Travel trade entrepreneurs say due to the lack of hotels and other infrastructure tourist arrival at the park is low compared to other protected areas.

The park hosted 42,000 visitors in the past four fiscal years, according to officials.

Parts of Chhayanath Rara Rural Municipality, Soru Rural Municipality and Khatyad Rural Municipality in Mugu and Kanakasundari Rural Municipality in Jumla district constitute the park’s buffer zone.

Agupa Karna, a local, said that despite being a must-see destination, the park has not helped locals to benefit from the natural resources.

“People's economic conditions living at the park’s buffer zones have not improved,” said Karna.

Shrestha said that they have not been able to include locals in income-generating activities as the park only earns a meagre Rs3 million annually. “There is insufficient budget from the local and federal governments to improve infrastructure in the park.”

Around 300 households displaced during the establishment of the park still have complaints regarding relief and resettlement.

The government acquired the land at Seri Lama Lekh in Chhayanath Rara Rural Municipality to establish the park.

“We have been deprived of basic facilities as the park does not allow constructing infrastructure such as roads and schools,” said Karna. “We can only grow food sufficient for three months and that too is eaten by wild animals.”

Min Rawal, chairman of a committee established for the development of the buffer zone, said that the locals are deprived of income-generating programmes.

Spread over an area of 10.8 square kilometres, Rara Lake is 167 metres deep, 5 kilometres long and 3 kilometres wide, according to Jaya Hari Dhital, the ranger at the park.