Has China handed over Pokhara intl’ airport in haste?

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi handed over the ceremonial key of Pokhara Regional International Airport to his Nepali counterpart Narayan Khadka this past week.

But is the airport, built with Chinese assistance, ready for operation? And the answer is a resounding no.

A lot remains to be done, say officials.

According to Binesh Munkarmi, the project chief, decoration and finishing works, procurement of ground vehicles, installation of boarding bridges and construction of fuel storage have not even started.

But the main hurdle to flight operation, he says, lies outside the main project area.

Pokhara’s landfill site, which lies within a 3km radius of the airport, is one of the major obstacles, as it attracts the birds that in turn could hit aircrafts.

Ornithologist Hemsagar Baral says it is an international practice to relocate the landfill site close to a new airport six months prior to its operation.

Pokhara has many species of scavenger vultures and eagles, some of them endangered, Baral says. “It is important to relocate the existing landfill site to protect these birds.”

Rithepani hill, situated east of the airport, presents another hurdle.

 The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has suggested flattening the hilltop by 40 meters for the operation of international flights. But the work for the same hasn’t progressed much. An environmental assessment report (EIA) for clearing the trees on the hill is yet to be approved by the Ministry of Forests and Environment. The hill must be cut down by at least 14 meters to conduct calibration flights.

“We can cut down the hill within a month. But first we need government approval,” says Munkarmi.

Pokhara’s unmanaged sewage and canal system could also hinder airport operation. The airport is located close to an irrigation canal, which overflows during the rainy season.

Last year, the canal was breached following heavy rains. The overflow of floodwater had then led to the erosion of a cliff overlooking the Bijayapur River east of the airport. 

“Without effective measures against flood and erosion, the ground where the airport stands itself is in danger,” says Hemanta Dhakal, a local resident.

There could be a problem in securing international route permits if these problems are not addressed soon.

Project officials say they have already requested Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Finance Minister Janardan Sharma, Civil Aviation Minister Prem Ale, Gandaki Chief Minister Krishna Chandra Nepali and Pokhara Mayor Man Bahadur GC to remove these hurdles at the earliest.

Bishnuhari Adhikari, Pokhara’s civil-society leader, says obstructions posed by Pokhara’s landfill site, Rithepani hill, and unmanaged sewage and canal system weren’t unforeseen contingencies.

“These hurdles were there all along. But they were not acknowledged on time,” he says.