KATHMANDU, Dec 17: The work of building a new walking trail between Beni Bazar and Lovely Hill in Beni Municipality of Myagdi district started on Sunday.
The short walking route, named Mona-Beni-Lovely Hill trail, is being jointly developed by Beni Municipality, non-resident Nepalis, and the private sector.
The Lovely Hill is located at Jyamruk Kot in Ward 2 of Beni Municipality. It takes about half hour to reach the place from the town of Beni.
The trail was inaugurated in August, but the work to develop it was delayed due to lack of fund.
Stone slabs and some concrete work will be used to develop the trail. The route passes through a community forest. The route will be 1.8-meter wide and railings will be built on both sides of the trail.
"Any visitor coming to Beni can enjoy a beautiful walk on the trail. We will ensure safety of tourists along the trail," said Rajesh Shakya, second vice president of Myagdi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The cost of developing the trail is estimated to be Rs 5.7 million. The municipality is covering 50 percent of the total cost, while Myagdi Overseas Nepalese Association (MONA) and Myagdi Chamber of Commerce and Industry are contributing 40 and 10 percent of the cost, respectively.
Visitors can enjoy the landscapes of Mount Dhaulagiri (seventh highest peak of the world) and Mount Annapurna, and magnificent views of sunrise, Galeshwor Temple, Poulastya Ashram, Jagannath Temple, and other local sights from the trail.
Mayor of Beni Municipality Hari Kumar Shrestha said that they were also planning to build a Ramayan Park in the municipality to attract foreign tourists, who will use the newly developed walking trail. "We are already seeing an increased flow of domestic tourists in the place after we built benches, viewpoints, and resting places along the route," Shrestha said.
The municipality is also planning to plant fruit trees along the route in order to generate income for the local community forest consumers' committee, Shrestha said.
Although initially planned to be completed within three months of inauguration, the trail construction began late, inviting criticism from the locals.