The construction of Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa is likely to come to a halt after August for lack of gravel and sand as the project has been barred from extracting materials from local rivers due to disagreements over development and environmental priorities.

The national pride project, which is expected to help the development of the Lumbini area, is facing a shortage of construction materials as the government has forbidden the extraction of sand and gravel from local rivers.  

“We need high quality materials from two local rivers, the Godaha and the Tinau; but the authorities have prohibited the use of excavating equipment citing environmental conservation,” said Om Sharma, project director.

“After a month, we will need 300 trucks of granular materials everyday, and we are only allowed to use hand tools for extraction which is not practical or possible.”

The initial phase of the project was due for completion in 2017, but the April 25 earthquake and subsequent Tarai unrest forced officials to extend the deadline till 2018. As of the present, the project has achieved 15.94 percent progress against its target of 22.91 percent.

The construction of the runway will stop if the project does not receive raw materials as per quality specifications, officials said.

According to Sharma, the project will grind to a halt if the issue is not resolved within two months. “The local level monitoring committee should suggest suitable locations and set an extraction ceiling after consultation with geologists, and forest and environmental experts.”

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has provided $58.50 million ($42.75 in loans and $15.75 million in grants) under its South Asia Tourism Infrastructure Development Project (SATIDP) to build the airport.

Likewise, the Opec Fund for International Development (OFID) will provide a loan of $15 million and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (Caan), which is executing the project, will put up the rest.

“There is lack of coordination between the District Development Committee, Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Ministry, Federal Affairs and Local Development Ministry and other offices,” said Kenichi Yokoyama, ADB country director. “Stronger inter-ministerial coordination is required to ensure timely and quality completion.”

However, officials of the Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Ministry have blamed local level authorities and Chure area conservation groups for delaying the permit.

“The ministry has already facilitated extraction after an environmental impact assessment. It has also directed the respective authorities to support the procurement of raw materials,” said Dandu Raj Ghimire, joint secretary at the Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Ministry.

“The project is facing raw material problems because of the District Development Committee and Chure area conservation groups.”

According to Ghimire, the ministry is committed to completing the project on schedule, but local groups are adamantly opposed to extraction of sand and gravel from local rivers.

“The issues raised by local authorities and conversation groups are beyond our jurisdiction,” he added.

So far, the foundation of the international terminal building spread over 15,169 square metres has been laid and earth filling works at the runway embankment and stream diversion tasks have been completed.

The airport will have a 3-km-long runway and a capacity to handle 7,367 flights per annum after the completion of initial phase.

According to Yokoyama, the Lumbini-Bhairahawa-Butwal region is a high potential area for economic growth based on tourism and industry. The airport will serve as a multipurpose infrastructure for the overall development of the area.

Apart from the extraction of building materials, lack of a dedicated feeder and workforce are other issues which pose a challenge for the timely and effective execution of the project.

“It took the Nepal Electricity Authority 11 months to reach a decision after we filed an application for a dedicated feeder line,” said Sharma. “They are yet to provide the required electricity.”

According to Sharma, the project contractors are ready to pay double the rate if the electricity supply is improved.

“All the concerned authorities should acknowledge that this is a high-stakes national pride project and develop an attitude to help its timely completion,” he added. “Help should not be limited to paper but come as relevant and reliable support.”

Meanwhile, locals also doubt that the airport will be completed on schedule and suspect foul play.

“Every year, tonnes of gravel are extracted from rivers near the border and smuggled to India. How come the conservation committee is only concerned about extraction for the airport?” said local resident Supuspa Bhattarai.

“The growth prospects of our town and completion of such mega projects should not be hindered because of the vested interests of some people.”

The local authorities were not available for comment and telephone calls by the Post were not immediately returned.  

The airport is scheduled to come into operation in 2018 after initial phase upgrading. After that, the project will move from airside construction (runway, apron, taxiways and terminal buildings) to other bigger expansion works.

By the end of 2023, the passenger flow is estimated to reach 553,020 per year, and upon the completion of the final phase, it is projected to reach 6,000,000 annually.