The Minister said that government welcomes any comments and suggestions regarding the environmental impact but there would be no changes. He, however, expressed that commitment that government would built airport with minimum environmental damage.
“Movements of a total of 8 million passengers take place from the only Tribhuvan International Airport on annual basis, and the figure is increasing by 7.5 percent every year, so we urgently need a new airport,” Minister Bhattarai said.
He was speaking at an interaction programme organised here by the Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ). Projects like expressways have taken off, he said. Airways are effective means to attract a large number of tourists, and there is a need to increase and expand international airports in the country, he asserted. Likewise, former member of the National Planning Commission, Dr. Prabhu Budhathoki suggested selection of appropriate location for the airport keeping in view of the conservation of biodiversity.
Environment expert Batu Krishna Upreti questioned the environmental impact assessment of the proposed airport and criticised it for breaching the due procedure. Uprety said that EIA report of airport contains several flawed provisions which needs to reviewed. “This is not a EIA of a airport, it was prepared only to pave the way to cut down trees,” he said, urging to correct the flawed provisions.
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