Nepal Oil Corporation has completed its preparations, but CAAN has neither cut down the trees, nor demarcated the boundaries, nor signed the land agreement: Pradeep Kumar Yadav - Chief, Aviation Fuel Depot, Sinamangal.

The proposal regarding the rent has reached the Ministry of Civil Aviation; the issues of cutting down trees and demarcating boundaries are not major problems: Dipendra Shrestha - Director, Air Transport Capacity Enhancement Project.

Kathmandu - The relocation of the highly sensitive Sinamangal Aviation Fuel Depot has been delayed due to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAAN) itself. Although the Council of Ministers had decided to relocate the depot on 12 July 2024, CAAN has not yet demarcated the land boundaries.

The modality of ownership and transfer of the proposed land between Nepal Oil Corporation and CAAN has not yet been finalized.

The Aviation Fuel Depot in Sinamangal under Nepal Oil Corporation has stated that the relocation process has been affected due to the designated site not being cleared. “Following the government’s directive, the Corporation has accelerated the work on the Detailed Project Report (DPR). However, the buildings of the Nepal Army on the land designated for the depot relocation have not been removed,” said Engineer Man Bahadur Singh, Coordinator of the Aviation Fuel Depot Transfer and Construction Project of the Corporation. “Pulchowk Engineering College has completed about 90 percent of the DPR work and has submitted the first phase draft.” He mentioned that around 15 ropanis of the land fall under the army and forest areas.

After the Shree Airlines plane accident, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli gave instructions to relocate the depot on 12 August 2024. The following day, a team including Minister for Industry, Commerce, and Supplies Damodar Bhandari and Managing Director Chandika Bhatt conducted a site inspection. During the inspection, Minister Bhandari also instructed that the depot be relocated immediately.

CAAN had sent a letter to Nepal Oil Corporation stating that it is the responsibility of the state to comply with the standards and recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). CAAN claimed that it had prepared a master plan and was carrying out infrastructure expansion in accordance with those standards. However, Sinamangal office chief Pradeep Yadav says that CAAN has recently been procrastinating.

“Pulchowk Engineering College is submitting the DPR report on 11 July. A detailed report including design and cost is on the way. Nepal Oil Corporation is preparing to move forward with the tender process starting from July/August 2024,” said Yadav. “The depot can be completed within two years and begin fueling aircraft. However, CAAN has been neglecting this matter. Due to CAAN’s negligence, there is growing concern that the project could be delayed by another 5 to 7 years.”

According to Nepal Oil Corporation, CAAN needs to cut down around 200 trees. The Council of Ministers had already granted permission for tree cutting back in 2077. However, the Corporation alleges that CAAN is still delaying the work.

CAAN has designated the site for relocating the aviation fuel depot to the northwest side of the airport, to the west of the “International Aircraft Parking Apron,” at a distance of more than 500 meters from the centerline of the runway. Regarding the land price, it was stated that the land in all areas within the airport is the same, that the land had previously been acquired specifically for the depot, and that relocation is necessary due to ICAO standards.

“It is necessary to keep the aviation fuel depot at a sufficient distance from the runway, and no alternative site is visible at the airport from this perspective. Since the parking area for international aircraft is also close to that location, refilling operations will be easier from the same site,” CAAN stated in a letter sent to the Corporation. “The entire task of dismantling the current depot and constructing it at the new site falls within the Corporation’s scope of work and responsibility.”

Currently, the existing depot is only 150 meters away from the centerline of the runway. According to the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), most of the depot area falls within the taxiway and runway lines. Currently, the distance from the centerline of the parallel taxiway to the centerline of the runway is only 110 meters. According to the standards, the master plan has been updated to maintain a distance of 172.2 meters.

Problems Identified at the Proposed Depot Construction Site

- The Civil Aviation Authority should demarcate the boundaries of the land allocated to Nepal Oil Corporation.

- The designated land site has not been cleared, and the Nepal Army buildings on the land have also not been removed.

- The ownership and land transfer modality of the proposed land between the Corporation and the Authority have not been finalized.

Source: Kantipur