Ilam, Nepal
| Ilam (इलाम) | |
| Municipality | |
 Tea Estate in Ilam. | |
| Country | Nepal |
|---|---|
| Region | Mechi Zone |
| District | Ilam |
| Municipality | Ilam |
Ilam (Nepali: ईलाम) is a municipality of Ilam District, which is in the hilly region of Mechi zone, in the Eastern Development Region of Nepal. Ilam also acts as the headquarters of Ilam District and Mechi zone. Geographically it lies in the hill region which is mostly known as Mahabharata range. It is also one of the important town in Mechi zone and one of the major place in Nepal for tea-production. It is famous for natural scenery and landscapes, tea production, and diverse agricultural economy.
Ilam municipality is sub-divided in 9 different wards, the major governmental and district office lies in ward number 1 and ward number 2. Ilam also is a major hub for transportation and communication for VDC that lies in the upper part of the discrict.
Tea Productions
Tea production in Ilam (as Nepal tea) started as early as 1863, when the Chinese government offered then Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana tea saplings that were then planted in Ilam. In 1868, the Ilam tea factory was established, and tea plantations covered over 135 acres of land. In 2010, the tea factory was privatized, and is currently not under operation.[1] However, tea production continues in Ilam in other forms.
In 2010, the total tea production of Nepal is 16.23 million kilograms per annum; a majority of this amount is produced in Ilam itself[2]
Economy
Ilam's economy is primarily agriculture based; 88% of the population depends on Agriculture.[3] Ilam is known for its six "A"s: are Alu (Potato), Olan (Milk), Alainchi (Cardamom), Aduwa (Ginger), Amriso (Broom Grass), and Akabare khursani (Round Chillies),[4] although tea, bamboo, flowers and silk are also produced in Ilam.
Environmentalism in Ilam
Ilam municipality is also known for its innovations in environmentalism. In 2010, the municipality became the first one in Nepal to ban plastic bags from the market. The district also set aside 38 ropanis (>19,000 square metres) of land in the same year for processing degradable waste.[5] In addition, Ilam's network of microhydropower produces more reliable electricity than is available in the rest of Nepal.[6]
Media
To Promote local culture Ilam has one FM radio station Ilam FM - 93 MHz Which is a Community radio Station.
References
Coordinates: 26°54′32″N 87°55′37″E / 26.909°N 87.927°E