Kathmandu, Oct 23: The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has arranged over 35 locations for flower sales ahead of the Tihar festival. Rajunath Pandey, Chief of KMC’s City Police, stated that preparations are more organized this year compared to previous years.

According to Pandey, flower sales areas are being set up in front of 35 commercial buildings and malls across Kathmandu. KMC is collaborating with mall operators to utilize empty spaces, allowing farmers to sell flowers directly. “Farmers will be able to sell flowers free of charge from designated locations on October 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th,” Pandey added.

KMC has tasked the city police with coordinating the sales areas. Florists estimate that around 4 million marigold garlands will be required for this year’s festival. However, only 2.5 million garlands are expected to be produced domestically, with the remainder to be imported from India.

The flower business in Nepal, which began in 2007, has grown significantly with urban expansion. Flower cultivation now spans 52 districts, including Kaski, Chitwan, Makwanpur, Kavrepalanchok, Gulmi, Palpa, Dhading, and Morang, alongside the Kathmandu Valley.

Currently, 450 flower species are being cultivated commercially, benefiting over 44,000 people. A total of 1,184 entrepreneurs have cultivated flowers across 221 hectares of land within Nepal.