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Nature reflects our nature
Nijgadh International Airport: Boon or Bane
Background
By 2021, Nepal’s Annual International air traffic
is expected to reach 20 million passengers which
can create deadly aviation crashes. This has
compelled the Nepal government to build anoth-
er international airport. And after studies based
on technical and geographical aspects Nigjadh
(Bara) has been recommended as the best loca-
tion. Civil Aviation started carrying out EIA of NIA
about 2 year ago. MOFE then approved the EIA
on May 23, 2018. But the EIA has not been made
available to the Media, Civil Society & Conver-
sationalists. Later, the Nepal Forum of Environ-
ment Journalists managed to get the EIA report.
Introduction
Location: Kolhavi municipality, Nijgadh, Bara
Province 2, Nepal.
Project includes an airport city and modern road
connection between Nijgadh and Kathmandu.
Deadline: December 2025
It is said to be the 3rd biggest International Air-
port of the World. (Source: Prachanda Jung
Shah, former Captain).
This will have Socio-economic, political and
environmental Impacts.
Environmental Impact
1) 2.4 million trees are to be chopped down in 3
phases.
2) First phase: 769,691 Trees
3) GON assured planting 25 saplings for every
single tree i.e. 62 million new saplings for the
whole project.
4) 90 species of mammals directly affected,
among which 5 are believed to be endangered.
(Source : Roshan Sharma, Researcher at RMIT
university, Melbourne, Australia)
5) Disturbance in ecological functions such as
carbon storage, nutrient cycling, water and air
purification and maintenance of wildlife habitat.
6) Quality Water management to the airport is
another big project.
7) Socio-cultural benefits along with artistic and
philosophical values to be disturbed.
8) Southern parts of Bara and adjoining towns of
India will be prone to floods.
9) 3 districts to turn into desert with frequent
floods. (Source: Chandra Kishore Jha, Journalist
of Birgunj)
Nature and Social Concern Society
46