By Our Correspondent, Kaski, Apr. 12: Rithepani hill that lies to the east of Pokhara Regional Airport runway is being cut down. While property owners have cut the hill hastily, absence of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is halting the process in the forest areas.

For the ease of aircraft landing and take-off, around 40 metres of the hill should be cut down. A lot of trees should be felled there. Although the government has permitted the act, due to the absence of pre-EIA, the process has come to a standstill.

The hill was obstructing the landing of aircraft, so on the proposal of Forest and Environment Ministry, council of ministers had decided to cut down the trees covering the hill.

According to Chief of the airport planning, Dinesh Munkarmi, the hill expands over an area of two hectares. The hill has 80 trees and 560 pole trees along with plants of 600 different species.

Even though the Detailed Project Report has asked to cut the trees, the act is being done only by property owners.

Munkarmi added, “Because we do not have an EIA, we need the permission from the central government. The provincial government does not have the right to do so.”

The process shall take its pace once the forest division agrees.