Chief Minister of Gandaki Province Krishnachandra Nepali Pokharel and other ministers inspected the under-construction Pokhara Regional International Airport in Pokhara on Wednesday.
During the inspection visit, Chief Minister Pokharel expressed his commitment to providing all required support to bring the Pokhara Regional International Airport into operation. He also urged the concerned parties to help solve problems that have affected the ongoing construction works.
A team led by the Chief Minister had reached the airport to inspect the construction works and to inquire about the time the airport could be brought into operation and the problems created by locals in the smooth construction of the national pride projects.
He also stressed the need for completing the project and bringing it into operation as soon as possible.
“Being a national pride project, it is also linked with the prosperity of our province, so it should be brought into operation soon” CM Pokharel said.
Stating that preparations should be made for direct flights from Pokhara to foreign countries, he said that initiatives should also be taken for the operation of security, customs and immigration offices.
The Pokhara Regional International Airport is now facing problems in managing the landfill site and water canal which are near the airport. CM Pokharel urged the concerned parties to immediately look for alternatives as there is a landfill site near the airport which could cause problems to flights.
The Pokhara Regional International Airport project has estimated the cost of water and canal management at Rs. 340 million. Regarding this, CM made the commitment to allocating needed resources in coordination with the federal government.
On the occasion, Pokhara Airport Chief Bikram Gautam said that work was underway to start domestic flights from January 1, 2022.
He further said that international flights could be launched within a year.
According to the project, 84 per cent of physical works on the airport have been completed. At present, 185 Chinese and 230 Nepali workers are working and 110 heavy machines are in use at the construction site.
Source : TRN,
