The businesses that are dependent on the Gelephu Tshachhu for their livelihood are struggling to make ends meet. The Umling Drungkhag administration ordered the temporary closure of the Tshachu in 2020 due to the pandemic. The Tshachhu remains closed with the drungkhag office currently renovating the place.
The grocery shops and the private guesthouses once catered to the needs of the people visiting the Tshachhu. However, along with the Tshachhu, they also remain closed. The owners are either working at the construction sites or are rearing livestock to sustain themselves.
“We have loans to pay and our families to feed. Now that it has been closed for two years, we are having lots of problems,” said Deepak Gurung, a business owner.
“Many people keep calling us and we have to tell them it is not open. We depend on visitors for our livelihood. It has been difficult for us and I think they should open the Tshachu,” added Kinzang Lhamo, also a business owner at Gelephu Tshachu.
“My shop was my source of income. The money I got from the shop was enough to buy food and meet educational expenses for our children. But now, we don’t have any income. I rear livestock and sell milk now,” said another business owner, Nar Maya Rai.
According to the Umling Drungpa, the office has already submitted a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to reopen the Tshachhu. They are awaiting the Sarpang Dzongkhag COVID-19 Taskforce’s response.
Meanwhile, the Drungkhag office is currently renovating the guesthouse, toilets, and ponds at a cost of Nu 3.5 M under the Tourism Council Flagship programme. The renovation works started in November last year and will be completed in May this year.
Karma Wangdi, Sarpang
Edited by Sangay Chezom
