Rara Airport terminal building left incomplete

By Hari Krishna Aidi, Mugu, May 29: Flights at Rara Airport have continued to face disruptions as the truss terminal building, left incomplete for a long period, has yet to be finished. 

According to the agreement between the authority and the construction company, the project was supposed to be completed in the fiscal year 2021/22.

Due to the alleged negligence of the construction company, Om Buddha International Construction, tourists and locals of Karnali have been facing difficulties.

Locals have accused the concerned authorities of failing to pay attention despite the expiry of the contract period for the terminal building’s construction. 

According to the Talcha-based Rara Civil Aviation Office, an agreement was signed between the Civil Aviation Authority and the construction company on October 3, 2019, with a target to complete the modern truss terminal building within 30 months.

The contractor had undertaken the project at a cost of Rs. 86.5 million. 

Mahesh Nepali, an engineer at the Aerodrome Engineering Department of the Civil Aviation Authority, said the construction company had been repeatedly urged to complete the work. 

He added that around 90 per cent of the project has been completed so far. The deadline has been extended nine times, most recently until mid-October of the previous fiscal year.

According to Nahal Kumar Chauhan, chief of the Rara Civil Aviation Office in Talcha, airport staff have been forced to continue operating from the old wooden building and temporary sheds due to the contractor’s failure to complete the terminal on time.

“Because the construction company failed to complete the work on time, we are still forced to work in wooden buildings and temporary sheds that shake even during mild winds,” he said.

Hasta Bahadur Bham, a local, said passengers travelling through Rara Airport have been directly affected due to the lack of proper shelter from sun, rain, and storms while waiting for flights.

A correspondent of The Rising Nepal attempted to contact Dinesh Lama, proprietor of Om Buddha International Construction, but was unsuccessful.

Another local, Dipendra Bham, said the concerned authorities were equally at fault for failing to pressure the contractor to complete the work on time.

“Service seekers have been suffering directly, yet the authorities remain silent instead of taking action against the negligent construction company,” he said.

Air services at Rara Airport began in 2003 from a wooden shed and an earthen runway. Although the 570-metre-long and 20-metre-wide runway was blacktopped in 2015, problems persist due to the absence of a proper control tower and terminal building.