Challenges persist in clearing land for proposed Nijgadh International Airport

Bara. Difficulties have emerged in clearing the land for which compensation has already been paid at Kantagaun, part of the national pride project, the proposed Nijgadh International Airport.

Out of 112 households in Kantagaun, which falls within the airport's four-boundary perimeter, most have received compensation since 2074 BS, with only a few exceptions.

The airport office stated that local residents of Kantagaun have already purchased land and houses in Kolhabi and surrounding areas using the compensation money.

At that time, compensation was distributed based on the prevailing valuation of 70 bighas of land. The locals who received compensation had demanded the right to take all their belongings, including timber and firewood from their houses.

Ramesh Sapkota, a member of the Tangiyabasti Struggle Committee, said that most of those living on private land, excluding the national forest area, have accepted compensation and bought property elsewhere.

‘Those who received compensation 10 years ago have already bought land and built houses. The price of land has increased significantly,’ said Sapkota, the coordinator of the struggle committee, ‘but even now, houses have not been removed from the airport land, and they are still harvesting crops.’

Through a Cabinet decision, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation classified the Kantagaun land and distributed compensation at the rate of 460,000 per kattha for land touching the main road, 339,250 per kattha for land connected to inner or auxiliary roads, and 241,000 per kattha for farmland.

Three villages, Kantagaun, Tangiyabasti, and Matiyani, fall within the airport's four-boundary perimeter, where about 2,000 households reside.

Except for the 110 households living on private land, others have been occupying Sahajnath Partnership and national forest land.

Acting Chief of the International Airport Simara Office, Bijay Yadav, said that the local residents who have already received compensation could not be removed because the government has not been able to make a decision regarding the removal of structures.

‘Even though compensation was paid, Kantagaun could not be cleared because the government could not provide the clearance permit,’ said Acting Chief Yadav, ‘The federal government issues the clearance permit. We have taken initiatives for that.’

The airport office had collected records for the removal permit and sent the file through the Division Forest Office to the Provincial Forest Directorate and then to the Provincial Ministry of Forest and Environment.

However, Yadav stated that the work on removing structures could not proceed because the provincial forest ministry did not advance the process.

He mentioned that due to a recent order from the Supreme Court, the old four-boundary perimeter must be canceled and a new one certified before a decision on removing structures can be made.

The Division Forest Office, Bara, stated that it has not been able to clear Kantagaun because the government has halted the permission for removing structures.