Hetauda

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Hetauda is a small town in the central part of Nepal, located in the district of Makawanpur, in the zone of Narayani. It is 132 km away from the capital Kathmandu. The city is enclosed by three rivers, the Rapti to the west, the Samari to the north and the Karra to the south. It is one the important industrial regions of Nepal. The settlement could have started due to its location at the meeting point of two major highways - East-West Highway and Tribhuwan Rajpath.

[edit] Physiography

Hetauda is one of the cleanest, and greenest cities in Nepal. Due to its geographical features and its climate, it has been a popular choice for people migrating from the northern hilly regions to the south. Hetauda is a doon, which means that it has a valley like geography. It is surrounded by hills all around, is very close to the Indian border town of Birgunj which is an hour's drive to the south, and both the existing highways to the capital go through this town. The east-West Highway that trails the length of the nation also goes through this town. Hetauda is also popular for its industries. Hetauda Industrial District (HID) is the biggest among the industrial districts in the nation. Some of the popular factories operating in the district are Nepal Lever Ltd., The Hetauda Textile Mill, Star Beer factory, Vanaspati Ghee, Colgate toothpaste, etc. Hetauda is mostly a working-class residential town, and therefore most people here are either employed by the Industries or the Government. The town is also popular for its large number of trucks that are used for transporting goods mainly to the capital and few other cities. These trucks are usually owned by individuals who wish to grab a piece of the already saturated transportation business. Hetauda also boasts of a Cement Factory whose production is aided by the ample supply of limestones that come from the high hills in the northern part of the town. These limestones are blasted off of the hills with the use of dynamites and then transported via ropeway directly to the Factory's prodution unit which is situated 11 kilometers south across the town. Recently though, the use of the ropeway has declined tremondously due to lack of care and maintenance. The rivers Rapti, Samari, and Karra run through the town and flow southwest to meet Narayani, one of the bigger and popular rivers in the nation.