Kathmandu, June 17:

This year, the National Botanical Garden (NBG) witnessed the highest number of visitors in its entire history spanning half a century.

“We excelled all the past records some months prior to the completion of this fiscal year,” said Bindeshwar Ray, chief of the NBG.

According to the NBG, 175,159 people visited the garden till May. The number of visitor in the last fiscal was 168,241.

“There has been a surge in the number of visitors after the restoration of peace in the country,” Ray said. According to him, compared to last year, the number of foreign visitors has increased by three-folds. “People come here from different parts of the country,” he said, adding that number of domestic visitors is on the rise.

During the decade-long insurgency, only a limited number of visitors, mostly from the valley and the vicinity would visit the garden, he said.

The garden earned Rs 22,54,84 this year. He said visitors and students comprise about 60 per cent of visitors. “Forty per cent of the visitors come here for picnic and recreation.”

The garden has 3,600 varieties of plant species, including endangered and rare species like Devdar, Jhumre Salla, Chalis Patre.

The garden is also getting a facelift. Barbed fences are being replaced with concrete walls to ensure better protection of plants. Almost 80 per cent of the work has been done. Ray hoped more people will visit the garden once the walls are built.