Devi Lake is the largest of the lakes situated inside Chitwan National Park. Rampreet Yadav, who worked for the demarcation of the park before it was formally established in 1973 and was promoted to chief conservation officer, said he is now shocked to see the dry lake, which used to be filled with water.

Yadav said that back then, one could always see five to ten rhinoceros around the lake drinking water and grazing around or playing in the water, but now the lake looks deserted.

Due to the forest fire in the Chure Range, Devi Lake and several other lakes and wetlands are currently covered in dust and ashes. The water level in Devi Lake has lowered too low, and the lake is covered in grass rather than water.

“The eastern part of the lake is dry and covered in mounds of mud and silts, while the existence of the lake could be felt only on the western part. The danger of what was once a huge lake turning into a grassland is growing by the day,” said Yadav.

There are many small and large lakes, wetlands, and ponds that help maintain the ecosystem of the park. According to the park officials, Tamor Lake, Munda Lake, and Lamital are big lakes inside the park, but Devi Lake is the biggest of all.

Ganesh Prasad Tiwari, the information officer of the park, said that Devi Lake spreads in an area of 25 hectares, and it has been estimated that half of the lake has dried up. Some of the dried up area is covered in grass; while siltation and mounds of mud, among other things, could be seen scattered around in other parts.

“The northern bank of the lake is attached to Chure Hill, and the eastern part is connected with the rivulets from Chure,” Tiwari said. “During the rainy season, some other rivulets flow from the hill to the lake, which brings stones, mud, and other residues creating mounds in the lake. Due to the short rainy season, the lake starts drying up faster.”

Yadav said that the problem of Devi Lake drying up frequently is not a new thing.

“Unlike other lakes, Devi Lake requires regular clean up and maintenance; otherwise, it starts to dry quickly,” said Yadav.

Chitwan National Park is the main habitat of rare wildlife such as one-horned rhinoceros, tigers, and many other carnivorous and herbivorous animals, aquatic animals, crocodiles, and birds. Preservation of lakes, ponds, and wetlands are crucial for the survival of these flora and fauna.

If the lakes, ponds, and wetlands are not managed and maintained properly, they start to dry up, and grass, bushes, and trees start to grow there, further deteriorating their condition and over the years they might disappear from the scene completely.

“Due to a lack of budget, we are having difficulties in the management of the lakes in the park,” said Tiwari.

According to Tiwari, in the current fiscal year, the government allocated only Rs1.1 million for the maintenance of lakes, wetlands, and ponds, as well as for the construction of ponds inside the park. Before the fiscal year 2018–2019, the government used to allocate around Rs10 million to Rs14 million for the same purpose, but after COVID.

“Along with lakes, the budget for the maintenance of grasslands has also been decreasing, which has created problems maintaining the diet of the animals there,” said Tiwari.