OUR CORRESPONDENT
KOKRAJHAR: As the ambitious multi-million dollar project to transform the existing Gelephu town of Southern Bhutan along the Bhutan-India border in the Chirang and Kokrajhar districts of Assam to Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) picks up pace, upgradation works on various sectors are taking place.
As part of this project, the construction of Gelephu International Airport (GIA) near the Paitha River was ceremonially started by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck recently. The king and the Gyaltsuen, accompanied by Gyalsey Jigme Namgyel and Gyalsey Ugyen Wangchuck, graced the ceremony to mark the start of construction work on Gelephu airport.
Sources from the Bhutan-India Friendship Association (BIFA) informed that their leaders were joined by over a thousand Desuup and Gyalsup volunteers to offer Zhabtog, a tradition of voluntary service that has contributed to the construction of homes, monuments, and infrastructure for communities and the nation over the centuries. The Prime Minister, Tshering Tobgay; senior government and GMC officials; representatives of the Zhung Dratshang; Lams and Trulkus; and members of the Gelephu community attended the ceremony. Prayers led by Dorji Lopen were held from daybreak to bless the construction of the airport.
The new international airport will span 4 square kilometres along the Paitha River with key features including a 3,000-meter CAT I Code 4E runway capable of handling Airbus A321 and Boeing 737 aircraft at the onset and wide-body aircraft in the longer term. The Gelephu International Airport will have a capacity for 1.3 million annual passengers initially, expandable to 5.5 million and beyond as required. The terminal design draws from Bhutan's four forest ecosystems-evergreen oak, cool broadleaf, warm broadleaf, and subtropical-which will incorporate traditional craftsmanship, landscape zones with native flora, and future connections to GMC developments.
In his address to the nation on this momentous occasion, the King said that the airport would pave the way for future generations to enjoy peace, prosperity, and stability and to undertake work that will, in turn, generate merit for generations to come. The Gelephu International Airport is scheduled for completion in 2029, and it is the first major infrastructure component of the Gelephu Mindfulness City initiative.
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