The plants in Pathibhara area are destroyed when metal nails are struck

Taplejung, Maech 14: The famous pilgrimage site in Taplejung has started to be used to put up signboards for the promotion of plant and vegetable advertisements in Pathibhara area. There has been an increase in placing small signboards on plants for the purpose of advertising. Signboard installation is in progress. Signboards with the names and contact numbers of hotels, shops and farms can be seen everywhere in the vegetation including gurans around the footpath. There are boards with the names and contact numbers of hotels, shops and farms in different districts.

According to hoteliers of Pathibhara area, as the trend of using metal forks to write advertisements on broken tins is increasing, the plants are getting crushed and the natural beauty is being lost. Indra Narayan Bhattarai, a local, said that some plants die quickly when metal nails are buried, while others are prevented from growing. He says that it is wrong to bury metal or tin nails in the gurans plants that need to be protected. Metal spikes are like poison for plants. “When iron nails are buried, plants die in a short time and cannot grow and thrive”, said Bhattarai.

Ramesh Dahal from Jhapa, who came during Pathibhara darshan, said that despite the increasing trend of placing small boards with advertisements on plants, it is sad that there is no control. He says that even if a message board is put up, the use of thorns will destroy plants and garbage will also increase in religious and tourist areas. When the forks and boards used to hang the board are crushed and fall to the ground, the garbage increases.

Pilgrims who come to visit Pathibhara say that it is necessary to stop such wrongdoings that even destroy the natural beauty. According to Manmani Kafle, Executive Director of Pathibhara Area Development Committee, various organizations working in the Pathibhara region have been trying to stop this from the past. He says that initiatives are being taken in this regard.