A team of technical persons has been mobilized at the construction site of Dodhara-Chandani dry port for preparing an environmental management plan with the target to begin construction works in next fiscal year.

The dry port will be constructed with the financial and technical support of the Indian government.

Executive Director of Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Committee, Ashish Gajurel, said a technical team led by engineers has been deputed in Kanchanpur after the Ministry of Forest and Environment sent a letter to formulate an environmental management plan.

"The team has collaborated with Shuklaphanta National Park after the forest ministry asked us to prepare an environmental management plan based on the EIA approved earlier," Gajurel shared.

He said the construction area of the dry port would stretch over 25 hectares as per the detailed project report.

"We have to prepare an environmental management plan again with reduction in tree felling and land use," he said. He stated that the construction of the dry port has been included in the government’s policies and programs for the upcoming fiscal year.

A detailed project report has already been prepared for the construction of Mayapuri and Gaurishankar buffer forest areas of Dodhara Chandani Municipality. However, land acquisition for the dry port construction is yet to be endorsed by the cabinet meeting.

It may be noted that a bilateral memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed for the construction of the dry port at Dodhara Chandani during Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s visit to India last year.