Surkhet Airport Expansion Stalled Amidst Political Disputes and Local Opposition

Surkhet. The 'Surkhet Airport' in Birendranagar, the capital of Karnali Province, was constructed nearly six decades ago. Due to the lack of upgrades, the people of Karnali Province are not receiving the expected benefits from this airport.

The runway's insufficient length prevents larger aircraft from carrying their full capacity, and the terminal is also quite old. This limits the airport's service delivery.

There has been a recurring debate about whether to build a new airport in Surkhet or upgrade the existing one. However, a clear conclusion has yet to be reached.

In 2020 BS (1963 AD), there was a plan for the then King Mahendra to visit Surkhet. At that time, Surkhet was not connected by road. With the King's visit planned, preparations for building an airport were rushed. The army pledged support, and the public offered voluntary labor. The people of Surkhet united to build the airport for the King's arrival.

Since there were no roads, there was no roller to level the ground. Dalbir Singh Kami cut a thick Simar tree and fashioned a roller. People would pull the Simar log, and some would stand on it to increase its weight. This roller was used to level the ground.

Similarly, to transport soil for the airport, buffalo hides were stitched together to create large sacks. Soil was filled into these sacks and transported. Regular flights began at Surkhet Airport in the 2030s BS (1970s AD). Over time, structures were built according to the needs of that era.

The airport is currently operating based on structures built to meet the needs of nearly five decades ago. The runway on the north side is currently 1,255 meters long, which is not sufficient for larger aircraft.

"The narrow runway causes problems for landing larger planes, and flights cannot operate when the weather deteriorates," said Hira Jan Kafle, chief of Surkhet Airport. He stated that the current runway is inadequate for landing larger aircraft and for maintaining regular flights in low visibility conditions.

Due to the short runway length, larger aircraft like the ATR-72 cannot carry their full payload. The airport, located in Birendranagar, the gateway to Karnali's economic prosperity, does not have regular air service to the districts within the province.

Although there were plans to resume domestic air services from Surkhet Airport 10 years after they were transferred to Nepalgunj citing lack of passengers and nighttime parking issues, these plans have not materialized.

Work Halted Despite Land Freeze Process Initiated

Discussions for the expansion of this airport began in the early 2070s BS (2010s AD). This issue even became an election agenda. After the country adopted federalism, provincial governments were formed. As Birendranagar became the capital of Karnali Province, the population increased, making it a center for social, economic, educational, and political activities.

Consequently, the provincial government initiated plans to expand, upgrade, and make Surkhet Airport operational, along with plans for domestic air travel. During the tenure of former Chief Minister Mahendra Bahadur Shahi, around 2077 BS (2020 AD), groundwork began to extend the 1,255-meter runway to 1,500 meters. This involved extending the current runway by 460 meters.

Additionally, it was proposed to extend the runway by 200 meters to the south for lighting. With an estimated cost of approximately Rs 2 billion, the provincial government allocated Rs 500 million and the federal government Rs 510 million for the first phase of airport expansion and upgrading.

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A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal under the federal government and the provincial government on October 15, 2077 BS (2020 AD) for the expansion. At that time, the federal minister for Civil Aviation was Yogesh Bhattarai from UML.

The MoU stated, "Both parties agree to expand and upgrade the airport runway to at least 1,500 meters and develop it into a well-equipped provincial hub airport, and to cooperate in this task."

Here is the signed document:

Accordingly, in a meeting chaired by then Chief Minister Mahendra Bahadur Shahi in the last week of Mangsir 2077 BS (late 2020 AD), it was decided to proceed with the work to develop the airport as an 'approach light' equipped airport with a long-term vision. The Civil Aviation Authority and the provincial government prepared to proceed with the expansion work by freezing land transactions and collecting data.

The map was altered at that time. As construction was about to begin, the map was changed, and it was decided to extend the runway by 600 meters only to the north.

The latest document indicates that the width of the airport will be increased by 90-90 meters on the east-west sides through the middle of the airport. The objective was to expand the airport for nighttime operations as well. The provincial government, without any discussion with the local community, initiated the process of writing a letter for land freeze, which faced widespread local opposition.

On January 9, 2077 BS (2021 AD), a Citizens' Concern Committee was formed under the leadership of local Tika Ram Acharya. This committee concluded that the current location was not suitable for the airport.

At that time, the current Chief Minister Yam Lal Kandel, who was in the opposition, was accused by a former minister of not facilitating the process. "We had moved all the work forward, but at that time, the current Chief Minister and the municipality did not cooperate," that minister told Ratopati.

Due to the escalating dispute, the airport expansion work could not proceed. The Rs 1.01 billion allocated by the central and provincial governments was frozen. However, in subsequent fiscal years, the province and the center continued to allocate budgets for airport expansion and upgrading.

In the fiscal year 2078/079 BS (2021/2022 AD), an amount of Rs 1.5 billion was allocated. However, due to a lack of consensus among political parties, the expansion work could not move forward.

The then government stated that the areas affected by the airport expansion included local leaders and representatives from UML. Yam Lal Kandel was also a Member of Parliament from this area, but instead of convincing the public, they incited them.

According to the expansion plan, extending the runway to the north would have affected approximately 923 households in Wards 10, 11, and 12 of Birendranagar Municipality, as well as Amarjyoti School. The Citizens' Concern Committee concluded that the current location was not suitable for a long-term and international airport under these circumstances.

As of January 4, 2077 BS (2021 AD), the committee appears to have submitted memorandums to various bodies requesting a halt to the expansion work.

See the letter from the Citizens' Concern Committee

When the Municipality Itself Did Not Cooperate...

The role of the then leadership of Birendranagar Municipality is seen as a reason for the halt in airport expansion and upgrading work. At that time, Dev Kumar Subedi from Congress was the Mayor of Birendranagar, and Mohanamaya Dhakal from UML was the Deputy Mayor.

This team also did not cooperate with the provincial and federal governments' expansion and upgrading efforts. Citing representation of the people, on January 5, 2077 BS (2021 AD), the municipality wrote letters to the Province's Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest, and Environment, and the federal Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation.

The letter stated, "Regarding the request from local residents of the area not to proceed with runway expansion, as there are difficulties in expanding the airport in that area, we request the provincial government and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation to search for and construct an airport in a new alternative location in Surkhet district."

Unable to withstand that letter and strong opposition, then Chief Minister Jeevan Bahadur Shahi closed the chapter of airport expansion in the last week of February 2078 BS (early 2022 AD). Subsequently, the frozen land was unfrozen.

Shahi stated that the airport expansion was proving to be expensive. Civil society leaders like Pitambar Dhakal believe that the expansion work could not move forward due to the inability of political parties to unite and their failure to address the problems of the citizens. He attributes the lack of progress to the incompetence of the leaders.

Leaders' Indecisive Politics Hinders Expansion

In a multi-party meeting regarding the airport in Poush 2080 BS (late 2023 AD), then Mayor of Birendranagar, Dev Kumar Subedi, stated that the expansion work was postponed considering the public's demands at that time. "The meeting chaired by me made the decision. The people affected by it came to me and cried," he said.

Furthermore, Subedi mentioned that some individuals did not cooperate with the expansion work at that time. He also warned leaders against using development for personal gain.

"At that time, on one hand, the public was angry, and on the other hand, the provincial government and other bodies did not complete the necessary procedures, so an alternative path was opened," Subedi had said.

As he said, leaders are using the airport expansion issue as a tool for political gain. The current Chief Minister Yam Lal Kandel faces accusations of not cooperating with the airport expansion work at that time.

When land was being frozen for expansion, Kandel would visit the residents of the affected areas and discuss the airport expansion issue. The residents would convey to him that the location was not suitable.

Former Chief Minister Mahendra Bahadur Shahi also stated that no one from Birendranagar cooperated during his tenure when work began. "They sent us a written decision saying not to build the airport," Shahi told Ratopati. "We calculated the total cost, designed it, prepared the DPR, and issued a public notice for the land. A notice was issued specifying the area."

However, the municipality sent a letter to halt the expansion work and seek alternatives elsewhere.

Shahi added, "At that time, there wasn't a single leader who supported it, including Yam Lal ji, which is why the airport expansion could not happen."

He further claimed that a struggle committee was formed under the strategy of the leaders themselves, and they were instigated to protest. "If there had been support at that time, half of it would have been completed by now," he said.

According to former Chief Minister Shahi, funds for compensation had also been allocated at that time. Money was offered for the school.

Former Chief Minister Jeevan Bahadur Shahi, who closed the airport expansion chapter, stated that at that time, some individuals incited the public, telling them to throw stones if any flag-bearing vehicle arrived. "When I became Chief Minister, I called everyone. Ninety-nine percent of those who came said they would not allow expansion," Shahi said. "The headmaster of Amarjyoti even said that this has tortured us and compensation must be paid for the psychological impact on students."

After this, with the public's sentiment that the expansion work was unsuitable and should not proceed, the chapter of expansion work was closed, according to Shahi. He proposed a plan to build a new airport at Ramghat in Bheriganga Municipality in eastern Surkhet in coordination with the federal government, closing the current airport expansion chapter.

Former Defense Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka played a significant role in advancing this matter.

When a Letter Arrived to Turn the Current Airport into a Jungle

The plan to build a new airport at Ramghat had been studied earlier. After deciding not to expand the current airport, the provincial budget for 2079/080 BS (2022/2023 AD) mentioned coordinating with the federal government to build an airport at Ramghat.

In the provincial assembly elections held in 2079 BS (2022 AD), Yam Lal Kandel again included airport expansion and upgrading in his election manifesto. Everyone was surprised when he made the same issue his election agenda after facing accusations of not cooperating with the expansion previously.

On April 27, 2080 BS (2023 AD), the Department of Environment and Biodiversity under the federal Ministry of Forest and Environment wrote to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation regarding the "Determination of Scope Report and Agenda Approval for the Environmental Impact Assessment of the Bheriganga Ramghat Airport Project," outlining seven conditions. Condition number 7 stated that if a new airport is built and becomes operational, the current airport would be developed as a forest area.

This letter caused a stir in Karnali's politics. The letter alarmed UML leader Yam Lal Kandel, who then began advocating for the expansion of the current airport.

Along with him, former Congress MP Hridaya Ram Thani also went to the federal Civil Aviation Office advocating for the expansion of this airport. The assessment behind this move is the potential weakening of Birendranagar's influence if an airport is built in the east. However, the work on the proposed airport in the east has also not progressed significantly.

With the discussion of building a new airport at Ramghat in Bheriganga, stakeholders in Birendranagar, alarmed by this prospect, began debating the expansion of the current airport. Led by Kandel and Thani, an all-party meeting was held in Birendranagar Municipality on January 7, 2081 BS (2024 AD).

Representatives from all political parties in Surkhet, civil society, the private sector, Members of Parliament, and local representatives participated in the all-party meeting organized by Birendranagar Municipality. They concluded that they were ready to resolve the problems during expansion and that there was no alternative to the current airport.

Birendranagar Municipality itself stated that there were no obstacles to the expansion.

The all-party meeting made six decisions.

These are the decisions:

— Buddha Air operates 2 flights daily and Shree Airlines operates 1 flight daily from Surkhet Airport, facilitating travel between Birendranagar, the capital of Karnali Province, and Kathmandu, the federal capital. A demand will be made to the federal government through the provincial government to expand the necessary areas and construct physical infrastructure to make the currently operating air service safe and reliable.

— A policy will be made to provide fair compensation and market value to local residents for the land and physical structures to be acquired during the expansion of Surkhet Airport to make the operating air service safe and reliable, and this will be demanded from the federal government through the provincial government.

— Given that thousands of students study at Shree Amar Jyoti Secondary School, a model school in Karnali Province, and the school is located near the airport boundary. To facilitate and expedite the expansion work of Surkhet Airport, the provincial government will be urged to take initiative with plans and programs for the immediate relocation of the school to a suitable location.

— A demand will be made to the federal government and attention will be drawn to the provincial government to operate regular air services from Surkhet Airport to airports within Karnali Province and nearby airports, making the air service regular, accessible, and convenient.

— Surkhet Airport has become an airport with over 300 passengers traveling daily, but there has been no improvement in physical infrastructure. Therefore, a demand will be made to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal to construct necessary physical infrastructure, including a terminal building, waiting areas, and organized toilets.

— The decisions made by the all-party and all-stakeholder meeting will be requested to be implemented through the executive committee meeting and forwarded to the relevant bodies.

Yam Lal Kandel Became Chief Minister, Yet Expansion Work Did Not Progress

In the last week of Chaitra 2080 BS (early 2024 AD), Yam Lal Kandel, the Member of Parliament from this constituency, became the Chief Minister of Karnali. However, no airport expansion work has progressed so far.

Point number 74 of the budget for the fiscal year 2081/082 BS (2024/2025 AD), presented by the government led by him, states, "Necessary budget has been arranged for airport expansion and upgrading in collaboration with the federal government."

However, neither the center nor the province has allocated a budget for airport expansion. The policy and program for the current fiscal year mentioned that the Surkhet Airport would be expanded and further infrastructure developed in collaboration with the federal government.

"Necessary arrangements will be made for the relocation and construction of physical structures such as schools and roads during the airport expansion," the policy and program stated.

Furthermore, it was mentioned that a policy would be adopted to provide incentives to air service providers operating regular flights to airports within the province, with Surkhet Airport as the hub, to make air services within the province regular, accessible, and convenient. However, no work has progressed for the expansion so far.

On March 1, 2081 BS (2024 AD), in a letter to the Ministry of Finance regarding the management of additional budget, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation estimated the cost of Surkhet Airport expansion at Rs 10 billion.

And, Rs 100 million was allocated that year, and a request was made to the Ministry of Finance to ensure Rs 4.9 billion.

However, the allocated amount has also been frozen. Recently, the discussion about Surkhet Airport expansion has faded. Nevertheless, Hira Jan Kafle, the chief of Surkhet Airport, stated that discussions are ongoing regarding expansion and upgrading.

"It's not something that can be done from here; it has to be done from the head office, so it's under study upstairs," he said. "It wasn't implemented before. There were also political issues. Now the political situation has changed."

Laxman Kandel, former president of the Surkhet Chamber of Commerce and Industry, believes there is no alternative to expanding the current airport. He stated that the current airport must be expanded to invigorate Karnali's tourism sector and make it accessible to the general public.

Mohan Maya Dhakal, Mayor of Birendranagar Municipality, said that since the airport expansion work falls under the federal government, the municipality is ready to facilitate at the local level once a decision is made from above.

"There is no alternative to its expansion now, and we are ready to cooperate at the lower level," she said. "We have also told the federal government that it should be included in the upcoming budget."

Suresh Adhikari, the Province's Minister for Industry, Tourism, stated that continuous efforts are being made for airport expansion. "We are making efforts at the federal level. We are ready to provide any necessary support from here," he said.

An airport official noted that unlike in the past, the parliament members and representatives from this region have stopped raising their voices about the expansion issue. "Apart from speaking at some public events, there has been no practical progress," the official said.

Ramesh Kumar Sapkota, Member of Parliament elected from Surkhet-2, stated that the expansion of this airport is necessary and that he is pursuing the matter at the federal level. "I am working on it, and I have raised the issue with the ministry," he said. "It is hoped that it will be prioritized in the upcoming budget."