Construction work on Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) has resumed following the supply of river-based construction materials reports The Rising Nepal.

In lack of construction materials, the construction works were hampered and the GBIA project was only continuing installation works of equipment.

“The project still requires 50,000 cubic meter river-based raw materials. We are also consulting with other local levels to provide such raw materials,” he said.

The completion deadline of the project, which has completed around 90 percent works, was March 31.

But the contractor of the project said that it will take more time to complete the project works due to obstruction in the supply of some equipment from China after the pandemic of COVID-19.

The lighting fixture of runway, a conveyor belt of the baggage handling system are yet to be supplied from China.

With the availability of the river-based construction materials in support of local administration, remaining construction works have been resumed, said Prabesh Adhikari, Chief of the GBIA project.

Resumption of construction works has been possible when Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City provided the river-based raw materials, he said.

Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City is providing sand, pebbles and other river-based construction materials for the national pride project from the Tinau River.

The local administration has been coordinating to continue construction works of the national pride project as per the direction of the government.

With the resumption of supply of raw materials, construction of roads in the 10-kilometre periphery of the airport and concreting works in between terminal building and apron are going on, said Adhikari.

Adhikari said that the project has to hire Chinese technicians to install the conveyor belt. He said that importing remaining equipment and bringing technicians are the main challenges to the project. For this, the opening of air route and water or land route is required, he added.

Source: The Rising Nepal