Preparations Underway for Dodhara-Chandani Dry Port Construction

A team of technical experts has been mobilized at the Dodhara-Chandani dry port construction site to prepare an environmental management plan, with the aim of commencing construction in the next fiscal year. The dry port project will be funded and technically supported by the Indian government.

Ashish Gajurel, Executive Director of the Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Committee, announced that a technical team led by engineers has been dispatched to Kanchanpur following a directive from the Ministry of Forest and Environment to develop an environmental management plan. "The team is collaborating with Shuklaphanta National Park as per the Forest Ministry's instructions to prepare an environmental management plan based on the previously approved Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)," Gajurel stated.

The construction area of the dry port is planned to span 25 hectares, according to the detailed project report. Gajurel noted, "We need to prepare a revised environmental management plan to minimize tree felling and optimize land use." He also mentioned that the construction of the dry port has been included in the policies and programs for the upcoming fiscal year.

Detailed project reports have been completed for the Mayapuri and Gaurishankar buffer forest areas within Dodhara Chandani municipality. However, the land acquisition necessary for the dry port construction still awaits cabinet approval.

The project follows a bilateral memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed during Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda's visit to India last year, underscoring the commitment of both nations to the development of the Dodhara-Chandani dry port.