Jumla Airport expansion takes off

By Naurate Nepali,Sinja (Jumla), May 8: With the government now releasing the first instalment of Rs. 20 million for land acquisition, the path for the airport’s expansion has opened, Member of Parliament Kantika Sejuwal informed. 

Although promises had been made for years to upgrade the airport, allocated funds often remained unspent and were returned due to various reasons until now. 

A total of Rs. 100 million had been secured for land acquisition for Jumla Airport in the current fiscal year 2024/25. However, due to a lack of programme implementation, the residents of Jumla had begun to lose hope in the airport's expansion. 

MP Sejuwal, who had advocated for the airport's development during her term as Mayor of Chandannath Municipality, expressed renewed optimism following the release of the first instalment for land acquisition.

She revealed that tensions arose between officials from the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) after it was discovered that the released amount was less than what had been allocated. According to her, since funds had to be disbursed for all airports, only Rs. 20 million was released initially, but the remaining amount is expected to be released within the next one to one-and-a-half months.

Discussions have already taken place with all stakeholders to ensure the remaining Rs. 80 million is released within this month. The CAAN has already been instructed to send the necessary documentation to the MoF to request the remaining funds.

Though the issue of Jumla Airport’s expansion has been in public discussion for a long time, a lack of tangible progress has led to public scepticism. Frequent attempts to claim credit by political leaders of different parties have also hindered the process.

Built in 1994, the terminal building of Jumla Airport has deteriorated. There is a need for a new phase of development, including the construction of a new terminal and extension of the runway. The CAAN plans to acquire 183.80 ropanis of land for this purpose. 

The estimated total cost for the land acquisition stands at Rs. 1 billion, of which approximately Rs. 480 million will be required for compensation.

Sejuwal and other leaders had demanded an allocation of Rs. 400 million in the current fiscal year. However, the MoF only assured Rs. 100 million for use within this fiscal year.

The expansion of Jumla Airport, which is considered vital for both the livelihoods and tourism potential of the Upper Karnali region, is finally moving forward. The existing 670-metre runway is planned to be extended to 1,150 metres. For this, 183.80 ropanis of land to the east of the current runway must be acquired. The land acquisition process for both the northern and eastern parts of the airport is underway.

With the release of the first instalment of the budget, the land acquisition work will now begin in earnest. Plot demarcation of the land to be acquired had already been completed earlier through the Land Revenue and Survey Offices.