Amid COVID-19 lockdown, World Heritage Site in Nepal becomes silent
Apr 21, 2020
Kathmandu (Nepal), Apr 21 (ANI): It’s been a month since Kathmandu Durbar Square fell silent under the spell of lockdown imposed by Nepal Government to avert further spread of COVID-19. Revered World Heritage Site in capital Kathmandu is also known as Basantapur Durbar Square. Abuzz with tourists a few days back, the monument is currently witnessing dead silence for the first time in centuries. The reconstruction of the temples of Durbar Square which were devastated in 2015’s earthquakes has also been temporarily suspended due to the lockdown. The Basantapur Durbar Square is a major source of revenue for the state. Tourism sector alone contributes to about 8 per cent of the total GDP of the Himalayan Nation. With the clouds of pandemic hovering over the nation, it is predicted that Nepal would lose overall 1.6 trillion Nepal rupees in the year 2020 from the hospitality sector, worst from that of 2015 earthquake. As Nepal was gearing up to celebrate Visit Nepal Year in 2020 for the worldwide tourists, the programme has been cancelled in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
