Plastic flowers replacing natural ones in Jumla

Jumla, Oct 28 : Shops in big and smaller towns in Jumla district are flooded with artificial flowers during the Tihar festival, the second biggest festival of Nepalis.

Flowers are in high demand during the Tihar festival as people decorate their homes and shops with flowers as part of the Tihar celebration.

The plastic flowers are gradually replacing the natural marigold flowers that used to be grown at house gardens in the past. This trend has grown especially after the construction of the Karnali highway and the district became accessible by road, as per the local elders.

Almost every shop in Khalanga town, the district headquarters, have kept plastic flower garlands for sale during this Tihar as well.

In the words of Mun Bahadur Dangi of Tatopani rural municipality-2, it is difficult to find marigold flower garlands in the market during the Tihar festival these days as people have started choosing the plastic flowers.

“There is high possibility of the district becoming self-reliant on flowers if flowers are planted adequately to meet the demand. However, the farmers are discouraged by the growing import of plastic flowers every Tihar,” he opined.

Flowers including plastic ones and natural ones worth Rs one million are imported in Jumla annually, according to the dealers.