Tea Garden Trail to connect prominent destinations in Ilam

BY PREM ADHIKARI,Pashupatinagar, Sept. 2: Suryodaya Municipality of Ilam is considered a popular tourist destination among domestic travellers. Tourist spots like Kanyam and Antu are crowded with visitors throughout the year. In addition to various infrastructure developments, the municipality is now set to construct a trail for pedestrians.

The municipality is set to build an approximately 20-kilometre-long Tea Garden Trail from Fikkal to Antu. This trail will be constructed with 55 per cent funding from the Swiss government's Helvetas programme and 45 per cent funding from various agencies of the Government of Nepal.

According to Bishal Ghimire, Secretary of the Koshi Province Ministry of Tourism, Forest and Environment, the trail is being built to promote tourism in rural areas. Tourists can enjoy the sunrise, sunset and beauty of tea gardens by walking along the Fikkal-Antu Tea Garden Trail. The trail is expected to generate income by connecting rural life around the trail with income-generating activities.

According to the agreement between the Swiss government and the Nepal government on May 9, 2024, the project will run from 2024 to 2028. Sushil Shrestha, Project Officer for Koshi Province from the Swiss government, informed that under this project, 400 kilometres of trails would be constructed in four locations in Koshi Province. 

In the project, the Swiss government will have a 55 per cent partnership. The federal government, provincial governments and local governments will have 8, 19 and 18 per cent partnerships, respectively. Meanwhile, 29 local levels of the Koshi Province have participated in the project.

According to Milan Bhattarai, Chief Administrative Officer of Suryodaya Municipality, Rs. 2.3 million has been allocated in the fiscal year 2024/25 to complete the Tea Garden Trail trail. He said that at present, the project was identifying the trail for construction, and the trail will be constructed using local resources, without harming nature, he added.

Suryodaya Municipality Mayor Rana Bahadur Rai said that the Tea Garden Trail would be built to achieve sustainable development goals. He said, “People will not start crowding immediately. However, the project will help increase income levels along with tourism promotion in the participation of the local communities.”

According to Pranil Upadhyaya, Tourism Coordinator of the Helvetas programme, 400 kilometres of trails will be constructed, covering 29 municipalities of Koshi Province. 

The trails include the Tea Garden, Falgunanda, Laligurans and Mundhum. He said that about 400,000 people living in the areas touched by the project would gain employment from the construction and operation of these trails. He said that tourist parks, resting areas, homestays and toilets would be constructed at various points along the trail. 

Kamal Gadal, a representative of the Pashupatinagar Community Forest, suggested planting rare herbs along the trail. According to the project, the construction of the four trails would cost Rs. 112.5 million and would lead to the establishment of 80 additional homestays once they come into operation. 

Additionally, a survey revealed that 80 per cent of the tourists using the constructed trails would be domestic, 15 per cent Indians and 5 per cent from third countries.

Under the Tea Garden Trail, Ilam, Fikkal and Shree Antu will be included in the Suryaodaya Municipality. 

The Falgunanda Trail will cover Fikkal, Latrekuti, Silauti, Pauwa Bhanjyang, Lohakil, Bikhe Chhintapu, Guruwale, Sandakpur and Maipokhari. 

The Laligurans Trail area will include Tumlingtar, Khandbari, Num Gufa Pokhari, Basantapur Jaljale, Tinjure and Milke. 

The Mundhum Trail will cover Koshi Tappu, Mainamaini, Sankhamchuli, Hatuwagadi, Amchok, Thamdanda, Tawan Bhanjyang, Temkedanda, Chakewa Dalsinge, Dhotre Jaljale, Hanspokhari, Maiyungdanda, Hyakule Rawadhap, Salpapokhari and Silichung Peak.