DHORPATAN, July 16: With the growing number of visitors to Bukipatan, located at Dhorpatan, the only hunting reserve in the country, non-biodegradable waste left behind by them has started piling up here, spoiling the natural beauty of the place.
The beautiful expanse of alpine meadow, Bukipatan, is littered with plastic bottles, wrappers of noodles, biscuits and beer cans and bottles thrown haphazardly here and there by the tourists. Bukipatan is located at 4,200 meters above sea level and has become a favourite among visitors for enjoying cool weather and the natural beauty the place offers during the hot season.
Tirtha Bahadur Gharti Magar of Dhorpatan municipality-9 shared that the problem of waste has started increasing at Bukipatan as hundreds of tourists have started visiting the place every day in recent periods.
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Tourists not only carelessly throw plastic waste, but also pluck the buds of wildflowers of Bukipatan. Locals complained that none of the bodies has shown interest to collect and manage this waste at Bukipatan, which has been piling up each passing week.
Bukipatan is a unique asset of Baglung and no amount of plaudits will ever do its beauty any justice. The trend of throwing plastic waste and lead waste by the people visiting the area has been making negative impact in environment conservation.
Not only at Bukipatan, waste like wrappers of noodles, biscuits, water bottles, red bull containers are found thrown from Pakhathar to Bukipatan.
Locals mentioned that Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve should pay attention in waste management. A farmer Tul Bahadur Adai of Dhorpatan municipality-6 opined that their cattle have started dying falling ill after consuming plastic waste mixed grass.
Though ditches have been constructed to throw waste, tourists used to throw plastic and lead waste haphazardly. A local Kul Bahadur BK viewed that around 60 cattle fell ill after eating plastic thrown haphazardly at Bukipatan last year.
Herdsmen from Rolpa, Tukum, Dolpa and Myagdi along with Baglung used to take their cattle in Bukipatan to feed nutritious grass.
