NAWALPUR: Tea cultivation has started on a trial basis in Baseni village of Gaidakot-18, Nawalpur (Bardaghat-Sustapur), the municipality announced.
Gaidakot Municipality Mayor Madan Bhakta Adhikari said 7,500 tea plants have been planted in Baseni, a hilly area of the municipality’s 18 wards. He explained that the trial was initiated because the geography and climate of the ward are suitable for tea cultivation.
“This ward is important from a tourism perspective,” he said. “The municipality plans to develop Baseni as a tourist village by improving infrastructure starting this year.”
Deputy Mayor Shanti Koirala highlighted Gaidakot’s natural beauty and diverse climate. “Tea is currently cultivated individually and communally in Baseni,” she said. “The trial has yielded good results, and if locals show interest, we plan to expand cultivation.”
Koirala added that Gaidakot experiences cold winters despite being just half an hour from the East-West Highway, giving it tourism potential with both summer and winter climates. “Our goal is to attract tourists by developing tea gardens, orange farms, and homestays in Baseni,” she said.
Raju Prasad Sharma, chief of the Agriculture Development Branch of Gaidakot Municipality, said the tea cultivation focuses more on tourism promotion than commercial production.
“We plan to build homestays and brand the tea as souvenirs for visitors,” he explained. “This initiative aims to reduce tourists’ need to travel to Ilam for tea gardens by creating similar attractions here.”
Sharma noted that many local tourists currently visit Ilam and the new tea farms will help keep visitors in Gaindakot, offering branded local products as gifts. He also mentioned recent infrastructure development has improved access to this previously remote village.
The Baseni Tol Improvement Committee and the ward office initially supervised the tea farming. Sharma said that once production begins and local farmers show interest, a consumer group will be formed to manage the tea gardens. He expects the first produce from the trial to be ready within two years.
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