It’s been three months now since Gelegphu Tsachu was closed to public after falling boulders damaged two of its ponds in June. The closure has hurt the businesses in the tsachu area badly.
Shopkeepers are now calling on the authorities to speed up the maintenance works and reopen the hot spring without further delay.
“Our main customers are visitors to the tsachu. Since it was closed, there has been no business at all,” Kinzang Lhamo, one of the affected shopkeepers, said.
“I wish if the tsachu could be reopened to the visitors at the earliest,” Lekey Palden, another shopkeeper, said.
“We rely on visitors to the tsachu for our livelihood. The ponds haven’t suffered much damage but the maintenance is taking long and we are suffering in the process,” Raju Gurung, also a shopkeeper in the area, said.
Gelegphu Dungkhag authorities said the maintenance works could not be carried out until now due to lack of budget.
But now the budget has come and officials say the works would be started this week.
They expect to be able to open the tsachu to the public by next week.
