Closure of airport for 15 months afflicts people

SURKHET, Aug 29: Western Rukum-based Chaurjahari Airport has remained closed for the past 15 months causing inconvenience to a large number of people. People from Jajarkot, Salyan and Western Rukum have been affected by the closure of the airport for such long time.

Sick people have been affected the most. Patients refereed by the Mission Hospital to other facilities in Surkhet, Nepalgunj and Kathmandu are to be transported via gravel roads and under this condition, they are highly deprived of timely treatment and suffer more along the way, said a local Gopal Regmi.

State Assembly member Gopal Sharma who represents the Western Rukum in the Karnali province said talks are underway with the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to resume flights, once in a week. The airport was upgraded sometime ago and now its runway was paved with asphalt and these works were done at the cost of Rs 45 million. RSS