Annapurna Conservation Area halts tourist permits due to disaster risk

The Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) has stopped issuing entry permits to tourists, citing the risk of heavy rain and snowfall.

According to a decision by the project's head office in Pokhara, under the National Trust for Nature Conservation, the halt has been in effect since Thursday. The project said the suspension will continue until the weather improves.

ACAP office chief in Jomsom, Rajesh Gupta, said the decision was made after the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority issued a forecast of continuous heavy rain and snowfall from Thursday onward. The suspension applies to tourists visiting the upper regions of Mustang, Manang, Lamjung, Myagdi and Kaski.

Under normal circumstances, ACAP collects entry fees through an online system. In areas where roads are blocked and travel has become risky, staff will facilitate the process by collecting fees in person from tourists who are physically present, the office said. Chief Gupta said the old system would resume once the situation returns to normal.

According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, today, Sunday, some places in the mountainous and hilly areas of Gandaki Province may see thunderstorms and rain or snowfall, with heavy rain also possible at one or two places in the mountainous and hilly areas. According to the department's forecast, there is an 80 percent chance of rain in Pokhara.