-Pradeep Pariyar Thapa
Updated: Special: It was a moment of joy and history making when Tara Air made the successful historic demo flight today to my hometown district Gulmi’s Resunga Airport.
I am recalling those childhood past that I trekked to Tamghas, District capital of Gulmi with my father late Jit Bahadur Thapa who was then Jilla Panchayat Sadasya (Member of equivalent to modern-day District Development Committee). Those terrifying horse riding on the steep uphill, tiresome long trek crisscrossing beautiful traditional villages, green rolling hills, roaring rivers and fearsome night walk through jungles were my childhood memories while trekking from my village Thulo Lumpek to Tamghas. Later, when I was in high school in Ridi, bus ride to Tamghas was even more terrifying which would make you unrecognizable with soil dirt covering your whole body from the beaten dirt road.
Now, all those memories are things of the distant past. Fine asphalt roads are crisscrossing villages and visiting Gulmi from Kathmandu, capital of Nepal is just 45 minutes flight away. The approx. one way cost is Rs.8,000 i.e. USD $60.
This airport is located at Simichaur-10 Thalemale, Resunga Municipality. The construction of the airport was started in 2006 (2063 B.S.) in a 156 ropani (19.6 acres) land and its runway is 560 meters long and 20 meters in width. It can accommodate only up to 18-seater Twin Otter aircraft or equivalent aircrafts. The airport is at an elevation of 5,015 ft (1,529 m) above mean sea level. The total cost of building this airport is Nepali rupees Rs. 33 millions.
Noteworthy: CPN UML leader from Gulmi who was then Tourism Minister Pradeep Gyawali brought this landmark project to Gulmi that has now forever changed our district’s isolation from the rest of the air-connected districts. I am forever grateful to Mr. Gyawali and numerous personalities who made sure the successful completion of the airport.
List of Airports in Nepal (49): Accham (2), Baglung (2), Baitadi, Banke, Bajhang, Bajura, Bara, Bhojpur, Chitwan (2), Dang, Darchula, Dhanusha, Dolakha, Dolpa (2), Doti, Gorkha, Gulmi, Humla, Jhapa, Jumla, Ilam, Kailali (2), Kanchanpur, Kaski, Kathmandu, Khotang (3), Manang, Morang, Mugu, Mustang, Okhladhunga, Ramechhap, Rasuwa, Rolpa, Rupandehi, Rukum (2), Saptari, Solukhumbu (2), Surkhet, and Taplejung. Under construction airports (4): Arghakhanchi, Bara, Okhaldhunga, and Udayapur.
-Pradeep Pariyar Thapa
Editor, Nepalism.com