Hot water springs in Myagdi earn Rs. 20 million in a year

By Thakur Prasad Acharya,Myagdi, July 17: The hot water springs of Tatopani in Myagdi district have earned around Rs. 20 million in a year. 

The hot water springs located on the bank of the Kaligandaki and  Myagdi Rivers have made income from the entry and bathing fees and donations.  

Among them, Singa’s hot water spring located in Beni Municiplaity-4 and Paudhar hot water spring of Annapurna Rural Municiplaity-5 are known for having natural healing power. 

The tourists who return from the Annapurna trek and Mustang tour enjoy bathing in the Bhurung hot water spring of the Kaligandaki corridor. 

However, the hot water springs in other places do not charge fees. There is no charge for taking a bath in Gurja hot water spring in Dhawalagiri Rural Municipality-1, Ratopani of Annapurna Rural Municiplaity-6, the Doba hot water spring and Dagnam hot water spring of Raghuganga Rural Municiplaity-4. 

These hot water springs are also considered to have healing powers. 

Of those charging fees, the Singa hot water spring has earned the highest at Rs. Rs. 13.6 million in a year. 

Amrit Subedi, chief administrative officer of Annapurna Rural Municipality, said that the annual income of the hot water spring of Sikh in Ward No 5 of Sikh is Rs. 1.1 million and Bhurung hot water spring located in Ward No 2 earned Rs.  4.5 million.

Annapurna Rural Municipality has given the responsibility of operating the two hot water springs to individuals or organisations through contracts.

With the formation of the local level, the infrastructure of the hot water springs has been built and managed, as a result, tourist arrivals to these springs have increased. 

Kumar KC, secretary of Singa Tatopani  Management Committee, said that the main source of income was the entrance fee paid by guests who come to the hot water spring for treatment and observation by bathing in a pool having 50 degrees Celsius hot water from nature on the banks of the Myagdi River.

According to him, 17,993 people have bathed in the hot water springs from July/August month 2022 to May/June, 2023.  He said that 350 to 400 people can bathe in the pool at one time. He said that a fee of Rs. 350  has been fixed for bathing for seven days.

Similarly,  Rs. 416,000 was received as donation, Rs. 530,585 as temple offerings, Rs. 3 08,690 from the lifetime membership fee, Rs.17,092 from the bank interest and Rs. 5,155 rupees from other sources, according to the committee. 

According to the committee, 25 per cent of the money collected from the entrance fee and donations will be given to Beni Municipality and 13 per cent to the Internal Revenue Office. 

Among the collected income, Rs. 1.3 million from the income from the hot water springs will be spent on the salary of six teachers hired from private sources for Saraswati Secondary School located in Tatopani. 

It is expected that the income of the local level will increase if additional infrastructure is built, and managed and the hot water springs are promoted.