Previous dumping site of Dhankuta turns into beautiful garden

By Kabiraj Ghimire,Hile, Nov. 23: Flowers are blooming around the road leading to the District Administration Office and Dhankuta Municipality. Poinsettia (Lalupate), Bougainvillea and Tiku flowers have made the place vibrant. During this season, the area looks mesmerising and visitors, enthralled by the beauty of the place, seem busy taking photographs and videos.

Until 2017, people used to dump garbage here and the municipality had a tough time managing the waste of the area. The flowers were planted to deter people from dumping garbage, now the same flowers have been the major attraction of the place.

The municipality started a campaign 'Flowers in Dumping Sites' in 2017. Upendra Khanal, Chief of the Environment Section of Dhankuta Municipality, said, "We started this campaign to stop people from dumping garbage in public places and make Dhankuta City clean. It not only helped waste management but also added beauty to the city and enhanced tourism and environment,” he said. “Dhankuta Municipality is considered the model municipality of the country in the sector of waste management. This campaign not only proved effective in waste management but also became successful in enhancing the looks of the city."

 Flowers can be seen blooming along one and a half kilometres of road between Dhankuta Municipality and the District Administration Office, Urban Development Office, Health Office, District Attorney Office, Land Revenue and Survey Office and liaison office of the Chief Minister.  

Apart from these places, flowers can be seen around Dhankuta Bus Park, Zero Point and Parichaya Mode, Saraswati Chowk and Schooldanda area. Although this campaign is being run in all the wards, the flowers have significantly bloomed in Ward. Nos. 4, 5, 6 and 7. 

Chintan Tamang, Mayor of Dhankuta Municipality, said that around 3,000 saplings of flowers have been planted so far. According to him, there is a campaign to plant flowers around the road of Dhankuta city and in all public places. 

The municipality has given priority to planting local varieties of flowers in the municipality area.

Currently, locals and tole development organisations have also started supporting the campaign. The locals who used to throw garbage in public places are now engaged in this campaign. Pushparaj Katwal, a local of Dhankuta Municipality Ward No. 4, said that the municipality has supported the campaign to enhance the beauty of the city.