Electricity has been extended to the popular tourist destination Poon Hill, located at an altitude of 3,210 meters in Annapurna Rural Municipality 6. To enhance the experience of tourists who visit to enjoy views of mountains, sunrise, forests, and hilly landscapes, the Nepal Electricity Authority’s Myagdi Distribution Center expanded power facilities in the area.
According to the center’s chief, Satyanarayan Gami, 15 electric poles and one kilometer of ABC cable were installed from Ghorepani to Poon Hill to illuminate the trekking route, charge electronic devices, and pump water from a lower source. Although the electric line was extended in mid-December 2023 for NPR 2.5 million, electricity distribution began recently after the municipality installed meter boxes.
To improve the quality of electricity in the Ghorepani area, old bare wires were replaced with ABC cables, and a new 50 kVA transformer was installed. With the new electricity supply, there are now plans to install streetlights along the trail and use a lift system to pump water to Poon Hill, said Julie Thakuri Pun, vice-chair of the Ghorepani Community Improvement Committee.
Until now, water had to be carried manually from Ghorepani using gallons, bottles, and drums a labor-intensive process taking over an hour uphill. As a result, prices for hot water, tea, and coffee were high, causing inconvenience for tourists.
Poon Hill, which offers panoramic views of peaks such as Churen, Putha, Gurja, Dhaulagiri, Manapathi, Nilgiri, Annapurna, Baraha Shikhar, Machhapuchhre, Lamjung, and Manaslu, attracts around 30,000 foreign tourists annually, along with an even higher number of domestic visitors. To visit Poon Hill, Nepali citizens must pay an entry fee of NPR 50, while foreigners pay NPR 150 per person. The rural municipality has leased out the rights to collect entrance fees and operate tea shops this fiscal year for NPR 4.01 million.
