Waling
Waling Municipality, located in the heart of Syangja, is a town and municipality in the western hilly region of Nepal. It was formed on 24 January 1997 by the merging of the then three VDCs, namely Waling, Dhanubase, and Pekhubaaghkhor. Due to the restructuring of the local government as part of the Federal Government System on 10 March 2017, the municipality's area was expanded to include Majhakot Shiwalaye VDC, Eladi VDC, Jagat Bhanjyang VDC, Chhangchhangdi VDC, Malyangkot VDC, Tindobate VDC, Kalikakot VDC Pelakot VDC, Thumpokhara VDC and Sworek VDC. It is located in the Aadhikhola valley and is bisected by the historic Andhikhola River in Syangja District, Gandaki Province of Nepal. Waling is named the Pink City due to its practice of painting local houses pink. The Government of Nepal has recognized Waling as one of the cities with the potential for future development under the Smart City initiative. Waling received an award for the best municipality of the country and was declared the Clean City of Nepal for the fiscal year 2017.
Waling bazar is at the height of 800 meters above sea level while the municipality's height extends from 731 to 1,600 meters and geographically extended from Latitude 28° 3
Since the 2017 reformation, Waling Municipality is divided into 14 wards. The allocation of VDCs and their corresponding new wards is as follows:
| SN | Previous VDCs and Municipal Wards | New Wards |
| 1 | Waling-8, Chhangchhangdi-4 | 1 |
| 2 | Waling-7, Chhanchhangdi 1,5,6 | 2 |
| 3 | Majhkot Siwalaya VDC | 3 |
| 4 | Eladi 1–9, Malyangkot-4 | 4 |
| 5 | Jagat Bhanjyang 2–9 | 5 |
| 6 | Waling 5–6, Jagat Bhanjyang-1 | 6 |
| 7 | Keware Bhanjyang 1–7 | 7 |
| 8 | Waling 3–4, Keware Bhanjyang 8–9 | 8 |
| 9 | Waling 1 and 9 | 9 |
| 10 | Waling-2, Tindobate 2–4 | 10 |
| 11 | Waling-11, Sworek 2,3,4-8 | 11 |
| 12 | Sireskot 1–9 | 12 |
| 13 | Thumpokhara 1–4, Tindobate 5, Pelakot 5–6 | 13 |
| 14 | Waling 10, Thumpokhara 5–9, Kalikakot 1,2,9 | 14 |
The total area of Waling municipality is 34.76 km2. According to the 2011 national census, the municipality's population is 51,243, with a 1.7 percent population growth rate. The literacy rate is 81.71 percent. However, the municipality has already been declared fully literate. The Nepalese Government has declared Waling the Clean City of Nepal for the fiscal year 2073 BS.
The municipality is connected by the Siddhartha Highway, which links Pokhara and Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha. Waling Municipality is bordered by:
- East: Biruwa Rural Municipality and Chapakot Municipality
- West: Parbat District and Galyang Municipality
- North: Bheerkot Municipality
- South: Galyang and Chapakot Municipalities
Early history
The town is located on the banks of the river Aandhikhola, which flows west along the valleys and gorges in the western lesser Himalayan mountains to meet the famous Kali Gandaki river. Hindu texts date the origin of Aandhikhola to the ancient time of Dvapara Yuga, described in the Puranas as the reign of King Dasharatha, the father of Lord Rama of Ramayana. According to local legend, during that time, a pious and aged blind couple had a devoted son named Shrawan Kumar. The old couple wished to embark on a pilgrimage before their death, so Shrawan Kumar set out on a journey, carrying them on his shoulders, to fulfill their desire. In a forest near the Himalaya, his parents became very thirsty. He left them in the shade of a tree and rushed to a nearby river, promising to return soon with water. As he hurriedly plunged his pitcher in the water, it produced a noise like that of a wild animal. King Dasaratha was hunting nearby and happened to hear the sound. He assumed the sound to be of a wild beast and shot his arrows in its direction. As he approached, he saw a young man lying dead with his arrow piercing his chest. He then saw the pitcher and immediately realized his mistake. The guilt-ridden king quietly carried water to the old couple, but they demanded to know about their son before drinking it. When he told them about their son's accidental death, they began to cry and died on the spot, leaving behind a pool of tears which transformed into a small lake. A stream began to flow from this lake. The term 'Aandhi' means 'blind' and 'khola' means 'river' in the Nepali language. Thus, the river's name Aandhikhola refers to the tears of Shrawan Kumar's blind parents.
The Waling Municipality came into existence on 26 December 1996, by incorporating the then Walling, Dhanubase, and Pekhubaghkhor village development committees.
Geography and climate
Waling Municipality experiences a subtropical highland climate, characteristic of the hilly regions of Nepal. The climate in Waling is influenced by its varying elevation, ranging from 731 meters to 1,600 meters above sea level.Climate Features:
- Summer : The summer months are warm and humid due to the monsoon season, with temperatures ranging from 25 °C to 30 °C . The area receives significant rainfall during this period, contributing to the greenery of the surrounding hills.
- Winter : Winters are cool and mild, with temperatures typically ranging from 5 °C to 15 °C . Frosts are rare but possible at higher elevations.
- Monsoon Season: Waling receives the bulk of its annual rainfall during the monsoon season, from June to September, with an average annual rainfall of approximately 1,500 to 2,000 mm. The heavy rainfall can lead to landslides in the surrounding hills, but also nourishes the agricultural lands.
- Spring and Autumn: These transitional seasons feature mild conditions, with moderate temperatures ranging from 15 °C to 25 °C . The skies are generally clear, making it an ideal time for outdoor activities and exploration.
Natural and artificially promoted erosion and slope instability in those hill and mountain areas are drastically threatening the ecological balance. A geological study of rock structure and slope stability study of Waling done in 1981 described a potential risk mapping method that was quick, giving a good picture of the condition of the terrain, and based only on the relationship between the rock structure and topography.
Syangja district has been described as one of the most disaster-prone areas in western Nepal. The geological and climatic conditions have resulted in extremes of landslides, debris flow, flooding, and wildfires. Most of the disasters have been natural, and in recent years, there is some evidence of an increase in flooding, landslides, deforestation, and land degradation. The district ranked second highest, along with Makawanpur, with the total number of landslide events occurred during the period 1971–2000 being 46. It also ranked highest in terms of landslide density and loss of property compared to other districts. Landslides at Dhanubase ' are a major vulnerable hotspot in Waling. Waling falls under the very high hazard probability area according to the Syangja district disaster management plan.
Waling Municipality at a Glance.
- Area: 124895.40 square hectares.
- Arable land: 2696.70 sq hectares
- Residential area: 449.90 hectares
- Forest/Prairie Area: 4484.80 hectares
Waling stretches along the Aadhikhola river. Waling Municipality, in the initiation of Waling Jaycees, is launching a campaign from January 2012 to develop the city into a rose city with each resident planting at least two rose plants at their home.
Notable buildings
of Waling is a unique building built by Acharya Balkrishna and yoga guru Baba Ramdev of the Patanjali Group of Institutions.Demographics
According to 2021 Nepal census, Waling municipality had 11,365 households with a total population of 50,932, which comprised 23,657 males and 27,275 females.According to 2011 Nepal census, Waling municipality had 5,952 households with a total population of 24,006, which comprised 10,809 males and 13,197 females. as of 2011. The population has increased since the time of the 1991 Nepal census, when it had a population of 8,767 people living in 1,674 ;individual households.
Crime
The crime rate is relatively low compared to the other cities in the country.Economy
Waling's economy is mainly based on trade, foreign remittance, and agricultural produce. Siddhartha Highway has been the economic lifeline connecting it to the major towns of Pokhara in the east and Siddharthanagar in the west. Before the construction of the Siddhartha Highway, Waling was a major trading outpost in the hilly trade trail connecting the towns in Terai and India with the Baglung Parbat, Kaski, and the surrounding northern region.Waling Municipality at a Glance.
- Own Source Revenue: NRP 2923798
- Total Income: NPR 730780000000093
- Total Expenditure: NPR 669821700908898884
- Number of Financial Institutions: 45
- Number of Industry:62
- Number of Shops: 1260
- Number of Hotels/Restaurants: 73
- Black Topped Road: 8 Kilometers
- Gravelled Road: 10 Kilometers
- Earthen Road: 31 Kilometers
- Number of Street Lights: 112
- Number of Telephone Lines: 600
- Number of Post Offices: 1
- Number of Public Toilets: 1
- Number of Public Drinking Water Taps: 1225
- Number of Private Drinking Water Taps: 75
- Number of Municipality Employees: 49
- Own Source Revenue: NRP 42,338,000
- Total Income: NPR 510,783,000
- Number of Financial Institutions: 103
- Number of Industry:62
- Number of Hotels/Restaurants: 107
It receives a considerable amount of remittance sent by youths working mainly in India, the Gulf countries, and Malaysia. There is also a large number of Indian and British army veterans living in the area whose remittance in the form of pensions and benefits has been a vital part of the economy for decades. Waling has a number of lodges and restaurants.