KATHMANDU, Sept 20: Lawmaker Hridayesh Tripathi has hit out at the government for its lackadaisical attitude toward constructing Nijgadh International Airport, the Second International Airport and national pride project in Bara.

Speaking at a federal parliament meeting on Thursday, Lawmaker Tripathi expressed discontent over the procrastination of the construction of the Nijgadh International Airport. Coming down heavily on the government, Tripathi said the government is hastening to cut down trees while the detailed project report (DPR) is still incomplete.

The problem behind delaying the airport construction does not lie in the resources and manpower rather in the intention and attitude.

Meanwhile, he advised Nepal Army not to taint its image by committing something wrong as Nepal Police have done so by getting involved in 33-kg gold scam and Nirmala rape-murder case.

According to the environmental test report approved last month, a total of 24 lakhs trees should be cut down for the project.  Prior to this, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has given the Nepalese Army the responsibility to cut the trees and construct a peripheral road.

 According to the regulation one has to plant 25 new trees if one is cut down but this is not so easy.

Though the agreement was signed with Nepal Army to cut trees and construct a periphery road, the army could not initiate their work until the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was approved.

Though the airport has a total of 8,000 hectares of land, only 2,000 hectares will be used for the construction of its structures.

The government is planning to develop Nijgadh as an international hub like Indira Gandhi International Airport. Preparation is being made to develop the hub as a transit for 22 neighboring countries. 

 
• Nijgadh-Int'l-Airport
 
• Tripathi
 
• Nepal-Army