The extension of electricity services to Punhill, a popular tourist destination in Annapurna Rural Municipality-6 of Myagdi district, has made it easier for tourists to visit the area. The Nepal Electricity Authority Myagdi Distribution Centre recently completed the extension of electricity services to Punhill.

Punhill, located at an altitude of 3,200 metres, previously did not have electricity services. With the extension of electricity, it has become easier to illuminate the trekking route, charge electronic devices and draw water from the main source located below.

Satyanarayan Gami, the head of the Nepal Electricity Authority Myagdi Distribution Centre, informed that electricity was extended to Punhill by installing 15 poles and one kilometre of ABC cable from Ghodepani. While the electrical line was extended a year ago at Rs. 2.5 million, the service officially began after the rural municipality installed a meter box.

Prakash Jha, technical head of the centre, said that to improve the quality and accessibility of the electricity supply to the Ghodepani area, bare wires were replaced with ABC cables and a new 50 kVA transformer was installed. He added, “The low-voltage transformer previously used in the Ghodepani area often caused interruptions in electricity service. With the new transformer, this issue has now been resolved.”

From Punhill, tourists can view more than a dozen mountains, including Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Nilgiri, Manapathi, Churen, Barah Shikhar, Machapuchhre and Manaslu. Around 30,000 to 40,000 tourists visit Punhill annually. It can be reached after about an hour’s walk from Ghodepani.

The rural municipality has set the entrance fee at Rs. 50 per person for Nepali visitors and Rs. 150 for foreign visitors. In the current fiscal year, the municipality has awarded a contract worth Rs. 4 million for the operation of the entrance fee collection and tea stalls at Punhill.

Source: Rising Nepal