Domestic flights at Pokhara in January and International flights in April

POKHARA: SEPT. 30 – 84 per cent work of Pokhara Airport under construction has been completed. 185 Chinese and 230 Nepali workers are working daily. One hundred and ten heavy machines have been used. The project costing more than Rs 22 billion is targeted to be completed within a few months.

Project Chief Vinesh Munankarmi informed that the work has been expedited to fill the domestic flight from January 1. International flights can be filled within one year. He said that there will be international flights from next April. But the internal management for that is not over.

At present, the management of Pokhara’s drains has become the biggest headache for the airport.

There is no good drainage. Water from all over Pokhara reaches the airport, ‘says Consultancy Engineer Bhupendra Sherchan.’ Its management is becoming very challenging. The government also needs support and coordination, ”said Sherchan.

Chief Minister Krishna Chandra Nepali Pokharel said that the state was ready to coordinate with the federation to solve the water issue. “The project belongs to the federal government. But once it falls within our state, we have to take care of it, ‘he said, adding,’ Gandaki state will benefit from this. Tourists come for Gandaki. We coordinate as much as we can. ‘Water and sewage management is estimated to cost Rs 340 million. Pokharel said that he would appeal to the association as it was not possible to manage the amount from the state budget.

Landfill management is another challenge. Currently, the landfill at Pokhara 14 Bachchebuduwa has to be relocated. The Pokhara Metropolitan City has not yet made arrangements to relocate. Potential lands have been identified by forming a land search committee. However, construction work has not started.

Rithepani Hill at the mouth of the flight is also a challenge. Project chief Munankarmi says that even though private land has been cut from the local level to clear the hill, it has not been able to move ahead in a systematic manner.

‘EIA will have to be done again to start cutting down government forests. It has not been passed yet, ‘he said. He said that the construction work of the oil depot inside the airport has also been delayed. Stakeholders say it is too late to make the necessary preparations for direct flights from abroad. Work including security, customs, immigration office operations will have to start now.