While the downpour stretching for 30 hours has prevented people from going out in the markets, busy roads in this popular tourist hub cast a deserted look. Even popular spots like Lakeside -- the main tourist hub in Pokhara -- have become almost vacant due to the sudden downpour. [break]
As a result, tourists in Pokhara have started cutting short their trips. This has created a new problem to the travel trade entrepreneurs in the new tourist season.
Hari Sharma, a hotelier at Lakeside, said the inflow of both international and domestic visitors was good till a few days ago. "But unfavorable weather conditions on Tuesday and Wednesday prompted many visitors to return without visiting major places," he added. Even the tourists planning to visit Pokhara have been canceling their trips after learning about the adverse weather condition here, Sharma stated.
"Until two days ago, there was a good crowd of tourists in Pokhara. But the sudden cloudburst is compelling tourists to return back," Sharma lamented. Tourists have been deprived of enjoying mountain views and landscape of Pokhara due to adverse weather conditions, he added.
Popular tourist spots like Fewa Lake, Sarangkot, Davies´ Fall, Mahendra Cave and Gupteshwor Cave, which used to draw a large number of visitors until a few days ago, are wearing deserted look. Apart from the tourism sector, the rainfall has wreaked havoc on other businesses, including transportation sector. Bad weather has forced cancellation of many flights.
According to traders at New Road, the business has gone down as people have stopped coming out of their homes due to incessant rainfall. Only a few private vehicles can be seen plying on the roads.
Pokhara has recorded 127mm rainfall till Wednesday morning. The rainfall that occurred throughout the night has not stopped till Wednesday noon.
Weathermen say this is the biggest rainfall in Pokhara in this monsoon. Bednath Baral of Narayani Basin Office expects the weather to improve in a day or two.
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