Kathmandu, June 30
The Supreme Court on Wednesday released the full text of the verdict it handed down last month, telling the government to cancel everything related to the proposed Nijgadh airport.
The full text clarifies the apex court does not rule out the possibility of constructing the airport in Nijgadh of the Bara district in southern Nepal. However, the possibility is still bleak as the government has been told to redo everything from point zero.
The court has pointed out that the Nijgadh airport plan the government was pursuing was detrimental to the local environment there whereas the decision to construct the airport was made even before the environmental impact assessment.
Stating that the bench understands the need for another international airport in Nepal, the court says the government can launch a new feasibility study to decide where to construct the airport.
The five-member bench, however, was divided in the landmark verdict. The majority–Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha, Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada, and Prakash Man Singh Raut–told the government to cancel the entire process, two other justices–Hari Krishna Karki and Manoj Kumar Sharma–noted their dissent that the government could continue the process just with a new feasibility study.
