DYING LAKE

The Phewa lake of Pokhra, Nepal, is on the verge of becoming extinct, according to environmentalists. The lake is one of the main tourist attractions of the country. Washing clothes on the banks of the lake at different places, besides direct discharge of sewerage from houses, hotels and restaurants has led to the pollution of the lake water. "The absence of lake side landscaping, poor attention to biodivesity, siltation and the government as well as the local authority's apathy towards the lake has resulted in the present state of affairs," said Krishna Prasad Oli, an environment expert.