Author: Himalaya Post

Kathmandu – The government is determined to take action against any person cheating in the Sikta Irrigation Project, a national pride project. The estimated total cost of the project is Rs 25 billion. Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Barshaman Pun, said that the contractor, the consultant company and even the project chief would face action if they are found guilty of faulty construction of the project based on the report prepared by the investigation committee. The government had formed an investigation committee under the convenorship of Ministry’s joint secretary Sushil Chandra Tiwari, after the project’s irrigation canal broke in course of a trial run. The investigation committee carried out on-site visit and probed into the alleged foul play regarding the sub-standard construction of the irrigation canal. “The construction entrepreneur, consultant company and even the project chief would be brought under the purview of legal action if found guilty on the basis of the investigation committee report,” Minister Pun said. The government has been constructing this project with the objective of providing irrigation facilities on 42,000 hectares of land in Banke district. A large section of the edge of the canal had broken while releasing water in the main irrigation canal of the project’s west sector during the test run. Water was released in the 35-kilometres section of the main irrigation canal during the test run after the...

Pyuthan –  A plan with an estimated cost of Rs 770 million was unveiled for the construction of Swargadwari (Chalnetar) Airport in Pyuthan. Acting on a proposal of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, Fact Consultant Pvt Ltd – a consultant company carried out an environmental impact assessment of the project and informed the public about its findings. In addition, a public hearing was also undertaken in the project site. The airport under construction at Barjiwang Chalnetar of Swargadwari municipality is stretched over around 60.79 hectares land. According to the assessment, the project construction will affect 14 households including 12 from Chalnetar and two from Upper Damar and render 107 family members displaced from the area. Environment Impact Assessment team leader Dr Mahendra Nath Subedi said around 6,256 saplings of different 18 species will be ruined while pooling 55.18 hectares forest land in course of the project construction. He shared that 0.4 hectares of residential area and other structures will be permanently affected. immediately after the disclosure of EIA report, the residents of the project potential affected areas said they would not abandon their residential area without proper compensation. The project has estimated total construction cost of Rs 770 million from which around 158.8 million has been allocated for environmental impact mitigation and...