KATHMANDU: Agriculture, Cooperatives and Natural Resource Committee of the parliament has shown interest in cutting down trees for the proposed Nijgadh International Airport.
At a time when 769,000 trees of 2,556 hectares of land are being felled, the parliamentary committee has decided to discuss with Forests and Environment Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet.
Though the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation forwarded the work plans to the Ministry of Forests and Environment in first week of July, the proposal is yet to be tabled in the cabinet.
Senior-most lawmaker Satya Narayan Sharma, who is handling the chairman of the committee, said that they were preparing to discuss with forest minister and secretary as their attention was drawn towards cutting down trees for the proposed airport.
“The voices are raised in concern of cutting down trees and impacts of it on environment and biodiversity. So we are preparing to discuss on it,” said Sharma. “Committee believes that trees should be cut on the basis of requirement and necessity.”
The environmental experts have objected on the preparation to cut down trees without detailed project report (DPR) and preparation to plant saplings for compensation.
The lawmakers raised their voices in the parliament on September 16, regarding the airport construction. Lawmaker Divya Mani Rajbhandari demanded Minister Basnet to answer the question of felling down the trees.
