Delay in construction of the Sagarmatha Airport

KATHMANDU, Sep 25:There has been a delay in the construction of Sagarmatha Airport, which has begun at Mothai in Triyuga Municipality-1 Jogida.

The airport's construction began twelve years ago here. For three decades, there have been studies and arguments about building an airport in Gaighat, the headquarters of Triyuga Municipality-7 Chuhade.

"The process of constructing an airport in Jogidah was taken forward 12 years ago after suitable land was obtained in Triyuga Municipality-1 Jogidah and the technician of the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation reported that it would be suitable to construct an airport in that area," said Birendra Basnet, chairman of the Sagarmatha Airport Construction Committee.

According to him, after 17 families from District Forest Office Udaipur and Jogidah Mothai in Triyuga Municipality-1 Jogidah agreed to give land for the construction of an airport without receiving compensation, the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation's technical team began on-site and environmental studies for the first time in BS 2067.

Chairman Basnet stated that of the approximately 156 hectares of land, 10 hectares belong to the villagers, while the other area is administered by the district forest office for the airport.

Rudra Adhikari, a member of the construction committee, stated that once the district forest and villagers' land was legally granted to the airfield in 2078, tree cutting for the Jogidah field began. He stated that 13,000 trees from 150 hectares of forest land have been removed thus far.

So far, three crore rupees have been spent on airport building, with the process of clearing trees and filling the hole done. According to construction committee officials, the situation developed when ground construction work was halted just as construction on the aerial control tower was about to begin.

According to Basnet, President of the Airport Construction Consumer Committee, the Ministry of Aviation legitimately bought the land in the name of the airport, and the government set a Rs 60 million budget for it last year, but the budget has since been frozen.

According to the technical plan, an airport of 1,400 meters in length and 60 meters in breadth will be built, and a plan is being developed to build a medium-sized plane that can land easily, committee officials say.

The airport construction Committee's officials said a budget of Rs. 1.2 billion has been authorized.

According to committee officials, the inhabitants of Sunsari, Udaipur, and Khotang in the south, Bhojpur in the south, Sindhuli in the east, and Sirha and Saptari in the north will be able to travel conveniently once the airport in Jogidah is operational.