Master plan for Lumbini Peace City appears to complete in six months

KATHMANDU – The new master plan of the Lumbini Peace City is likely to complete in six months.

According to Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), 80 percent works of the master plan has been completed.

Korean professor Kwak Young Hoon, 72, is drafting the new master plan to build a lotus-shape peace city in an area of 24 squares mile with an investment of USD 3 billion.

Japanese nationalist Kenzo Tange prepared the first master plan of Lumbini in 1978 whose implementation is still going on.

Kwak has developed the master plan to build the peace city in a shape of a lotus flower without affecting Tange’s plan.

The peace city will be built outside the area included in Tange’s master plan, said the KOICA officials.

The Korean professor wants the peace city will occupy five squares miles while 19 sq miles will be developed as agricultural and tourist areas.

The proposed peace city will spread over 11 Village Development Committees close to the birth place of Lord Buddha.

Shambu Malla of KOICA said that the master plan would include all needed information including the money that would be invested for building the peace city.

“The master plan will be carried out without affecting Tange’s plan and no present settlement, jungle, mosque and school will be relocated or destroyed,” he said.

The master plan has forwarded a concept in which 200,000 tourists could enjoy home stay facilities.

The KOICA has appealed to the government to manage the existing industries and factories and ensure that no big houses or hotels are constructed in the Lumbini area.

Programme coordinator Bikash Rawal said that drinking, smoking and taking meat would be restricted in the peace city.

“Completion of the master plan will help the Lumbini locals earn 30 dollar per day,” he said.

Keeping in mind the mantra of Nepali culture “atithi devo bhawa” the master plan has forwarded a scheme to make home stay in each household possible.

Highlighting the motive of the master plan, Rawal said, “The peace city will look like a lotus from the sky. The city will have a natural but a modern look.”

According to Rawal, the master plan also includes conservation of wild animals, plantation of trees and skill orientation porgrammes for the locals.

Kwak who keenly observed Lumbini for two year s from 1999 to December 2000 came up with the new master plan.

After preparing the master plan, Kwak presented it to his closest friend United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki- Moon.

Ban showed his deep interest to the master plan and Kwak started to prepare the master plan with the help of KOICA.

Malla said that Ban has assured that he would keep the development of Lumbini as his first agenda. Septuagenarian Kwak, who has prepared master plans in various countries, has been saying that construction of the peace city would be his final work.