Operation of international airport brings cheers to folks in Lekhnath

LEKHNATH: Folks of Lekhnath have no bound of happiness after the Pokhara-based Regional International Airport came into operation quite recently.

Krishna Timilsina, a local of Kharenephant, Lekhnath, said the inauguration of the operation of the airport would not only help promote tourism in Pokhara but also create several opportunities for Lekhnath.

The airport that was inaugurated on Sunday is the ornament of overall Gandaki State, he said.

Former Minister Yagya Bahadur Thapa said the role of an international airport would be spectacular to proliferate development opportunities in the region. He expressed his confidence that it would surely contribute to exploring tourism opportunities in Begnas Lake which is also in proximity of the airport.

“Lakeside of Pokhara alone could not offer space to the growing inflow of tourists here. They would also come to explore the Begnas and Rupa Lake”, Thapa said, adding the airport has constructed after a four-decade wait of Kaski folks so all sections should come together to make the airport a success.

“The mega infrastructure has not only offered development opportunities to Pokhara and Lekhnath but the entire Gandaki province. With this, tourists can easily go to Chitwan and Lumbini”, added Thapa, a local resident.

He went on saying, “Now Lekhnath and Pokhara have become the same valley. The airport operation has further made the areas closer. The elected people’s representatives here should put their all-out efforts to unleash the tourism potentials of Pokhara by conserving the natural heritage of the area”.

Ganesh Adhikari, a resident of Pokhara-26, Lekhnath, commented that the airport would contribute to elevating the living standards of the people residing in and around Kaski.

The local, state and federal representatives of the area should concentrate efforts for the tourism development of Pokhara, he said, adding, “The concerned agencies should come up with an adequate plan to make Pokhara further convenient for international tourists”.

Chairperson of Lekhnath Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chhatradhar Atreya highlighted the need to expand roads in Lekhnath with the airport coming into operation.

The existing narrowed, concrete roads here would not attract tourists so the road widening driver should be put in place in a way that traffic congestion would not be a problem for free travel.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ had inaugurated the Pokhara Regional International Airport amidst a program on Sunday. Physical infrastructure and technical works of the airport, the national pride project, has been completed.

The airport stretching over 3,900 ropani land was constructed at the cost of Rs 22 billion, said the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.