By Yadu Prasad Bhatta,Manang, Aug.21: Gangapurna Glacial Lake located in the Annapurna Circuit trekking route in Manang district is facing an existential crisis. The lake's beauty is diminishing as the lake is becoming shallower each year due to glacier retreats on one side and the accumulation of mud and debris on the other.
To protect the watershed and maintain environmental balance, it is crucial to preserve Gangapurna Glacier Lake. However, efforts to save the lake have been halted due to the lack of funding. Situated at an altitude of 3,540 metres above sea level in Ngisyang Rural Municipality-6, the lake is fed by a glacier from Gangapurna Mountain.
Glacial lakes are vital sources of water for the planet, so their conservation is an urgent priority. Manang has, of late, gained attention as a tourist destination, and the Gangapurna Glacier Lake even served as a filming location for the Bollywood movie Unchai, starring actors Amitabh Bachchan and Anupam Kher. Several Nepali and Indian films have been shot in Manang after the pandemic.
The number of Indian tourists visiting the area has also increased post-pandemic. The lake freezes during winter and it is replenished by melting snow from the mountains during the monsoon season. A road now reaches the lake, which is just a 15-minute walk from the village of Manang.
According to a joint study by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Nepal h.