Chaurjahari Airport not in operation despite assurances to do so in Dashain

By Our Correspondent

Rukum West, Oct 2 : Chaurjahari Airport, situated in Ward No. 1 of Chaurjahari Municipality of Rukum West district, came into operation in 1971 until the services were suspended in 2013 to upgrade its runway. It took two years to black-top the runway by spending Rs. 55.95 million.

However, despite blacktopping the runway, the number of flights to the airport declined. For the past eight years, the airport has been totally deserted. There are no officials in the airport building and control tower. Even police personnel cannot be sighted. 

Local representatives and leaders had earlier received assurances from the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation that the airport would come into operation to ease commuting during the festival of Dashain and Tihar.

However, with Dashain festival already in progress, no airplanes are there to fly to the Chaurjahari Airport. 

“If it had come into operation, locals of Rukum, Salyan and Jajarkot district would benefit greatly. It seems the assurance was fake,” said Madan Kumar Gautam, a local from Ward No. 2 of the municipality.

Local Khim Prasad Jaisi said, “The road transportation to the district alongside neighbouring areas is risky. Despite having an airport in the region, citizens are bound to travel along the poor road with a great difficulty.”

Locals informed that the road transportation was riskier during the time of festivals as there is an increase in number of people and vehicles, increasing traffic congestion along the poor roads.

Meanwhile, locals feel a sigh of relief that the airport, which didn’t come into operation during the festival, would start providing services sooner or later.

The hope comes as the government has allocated budget to upgrade the airport in the fiscal year 2022/23. 

“It has been said that the airport would be upgraded. We hope that airplanes will start to take and bring passengers through the airport soon,” said Pabitra Sharma, a local.

Nevertheless, some locals argued that the budget allocation and upgrading of the airport would be nothing more than an unnecessary spending unless it was assured that airline companies would fly to and from there.

“There have been no flights to the airport for years. Why does the government need to spend hefty sum of money for its upgrade when there are no chances that there would be flights to the airport later?” questioned local Sita Gosai.

There is Salle Airport in operation at Musikot of Rukum West as well.