The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for Nijgadh International Airport has been approved by the Ministry of Forests and Environment, Joint Secretary at the ministry Maheshwore Dhakal confirmed.
The report has advised to chop as few trees as possible as Nijgadh is very important for bio diversity. It has also advised to only use area that is necessary.
Approval of the report has paved the way for chopping trees. The government has already handed over responsibility of clearing the area for airport to the Nepal Army (NA).
The EIA report has pointed that 2.40 million trees including 600,000 big ones will have to be chopped to construct the airport.
Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the airport has also already been prepared. The government has already decided to buy the DPR from South Korean company Landmark Worldwide (LMW). The company, that had earlier agreed to sell the DPR for Rs 320 million, is currently demanding Rs 720 million.
The airport with a two-way runway, 3,600 meters long and 45 meters wide, can cater to 60 million passengers a year. The airport is expected to reduce the pressure on Tribhuvan International Airport.
The government plans to connect the airport to Kathmandu through Kathmandu-Nijgadh Fast Track. The modality for construction of the airport, however, has yet to be finalized.
