The President Chure Tarai Madhes Conservation Development Committee has started works of a multipurpose high dam at Lamiraha in Sainamaina Municipality, Rupandehi.

The project, which is led by Sainamaina Municipality, aims to conserve the Chure area, recharge groundwater, irrigate fields and promote water tourism.

Lamiraha, a 40metre lake formed by the water of Khappar Khola, is around three kilometres north from the Murgiya point of the East-West Highway. Chitra Bahadur Karki, mayor of the municipality, said the local unit also plans to construct a multipurpose water park to promote tourism and irrigate fields.

“The floodwaters of monsoon can be collected in the dam. The collected water could then be used all year round,” said Karki.

According to municipality officials, the office also plans to start fish farming in the dam and conduct other recreational activities by operating boats and constructing a water park.

“We will also encourage locals to operate hotels and resorts to promote tourism in the area,” said Karki.

Ram Bahadur Thapa, a local, said developing Lamihara as a tourist destination is a good move.

“The dam will not just support tourism but will also help villagers foray into farming,” he said.

Last year, President Chure Tarai Madhes Conservation Development Committee had studied the probability of a high dam in Lamiraha. According to the report, a 40m tall dam could be constructed in Lamiraha, as the Khappar Khola is a perennial river. The committee is preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) based on the study in the current fiscal year.

Ajaya Karki, chief at the committee’s office in Butwal, said Rs 30 million has been allocated to construct the dam in the first phase. “The construction of the dam will start after the completion of the DPR,” Karki said.

The municipality has also studied the possibility of operating jungle safaris in the Chure area starting from Lamiraha. According to Krishna Prasad Bhandari, chief administration officer of the municipality, the municipality has allocated sufficient budget for tourism promotion and infrastructure development in the current fiscal year.

The Sainamaina archaeological site lies within a kilometre of Lamiraha, and with the construction of Buddha Park and Tharu Homestay in Sainamaina, the municipality plans to move forward with its tourism plan.

“We plan to connect Lamiraha with the Buddhist circuit,” said Bishnu Paudel, general secretary of the Nepal Communist Party.