KATHMANDU, JULY 3

Although the country is in a lockdown, infrastructure development activities under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) have continued.

Organising a press meet today, Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai unveiled the progress report of infrastructure development during the lockdown period.

Among the national pride projects, Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) has achieved 91 per cent progress. Although the construction work was affected during the initial phase of the lockdown, currently the work is going on smoothly.

“Construction works will be completed within the next six months and it will take at least three more months of preparations to operate airport,” Minister Bhattarai said, adding, “The airport would have come into operation by this year if only the COVID-19 pandemic had not occurred.”

Currently, around 275 workers, including 29 Chinese workers, are working at the construction site of GBIA.

Meanwhile, the Pokhara International Airport (PIA) has achieved 59 per cent work progress so far while the paper work and other needful work to begin construction of Nijgadh International Airport (NIA) is also running smoothly. Similarly, renovation of the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) is also going on at the moment.

During the lockdown period, extension of apron and runway, construction of new waiting hall at the international terminal building, extending new baggage handling belts, construction of new arrival area and parallel taxiway at the TIA have also been completed.

Similarly, towards the domestic sector, runway pavement at airports of Bhairahawa, Baitadi, Dhangadhi and Doti has achieved 65 per cent work progress.

Construction of terminal buildings at Janakpur, Lukla and Tumlingtar airports is going on, while the runway and taxiway of airports at Bajhang and Masinechaur have been blacktopped during the lockdown.

Likewise, the construction of trekking tail to Chho-Rolpa lake, Kanchenjunga Base Camp, Makalu Base Camp, Dolpa and Panchase has also been completed. Similarly, trekking trail from Maipokhari to Sandakpur has been constructed during the lockdown period.

Amid this, the MoCTCA has also constructed footpath, view tower, bridges and decorations have been made in tourist destinations like Dhanushadham, Indrasarovar, Jagdishpur Lake, Rara Lake and Joginiya Lake, among others.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on July 4, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.