OCT 22 -
Maheshwor Rijal
This was an unforgettable travel experience I had in Mugu, one of the remotest places in the world. Here, life is difficult as there is no regular transportation expect the rare flight from Talcha Airport situated on the high Himalayan foothills near Rara National Park. Since this was a festive time, there were many people at the airport which is a two-hour uphill walk from Gamgadi, the district headquarters of Mugu. Many people from outside the district were also there to return to their homes. So the hotel near the airport was filled with government officers, NGO and INGO staff, teachers and local people. But it was not easy getting a ticket on the flight. You needed power and you had to pay extra over the normal airfare.
There was no system as the airlines only flew passengers they favoured. Only the people who had close connections with the airline staff would get flight permission. The others were compelled to pay a high amount as per the demand of the airline agents. It was really difficult for me to get a ticket despite several attempts. I realised that this was the kind of suffering you had to endure in a remote place where there is no transportation.
I saw a woman in her late 30s with a wrinkled face at the airport. She was suffering from uterine prolapse and had reached there after walking for three days from Kimri, the remotest village development committee in the northern part of the district. She wanted to go to Nepalgunj for her treatment, but it was impossible to get on the flight since she could not afford the extra charges and she knew nobody there. Meanwhile, I saw government officials getting tickets only hours after arriving when other people had been waiting for more than a week. Who cared for the pain of these marginalised and vulnerable people who could not get access to medical treatment?
I finally got a ticket by paying extra. This was the best time for airline agents to earn money due to the Dashain festival rush. The airlines do not issue air tickets and boarding passes to passengers. I asked an airline agent at Talcha and he replied, “If you do not want to go, it’s your choice.” Where are the concerned authorities? It is really difficult for the people of Mugu since there is no means of transportation even if a road connecting the district headquarters was built two years ago. Despite the great challenge and struggle, I arrived at my birthplace Sindhupalchok to celebrate Dashain, and it was one unforgettable experience.
Every year, a huge amount of money is invested for the construction and repair of Talcha Airport, but its condition remains the same. I urge the government and concerned authorities to ensure a systematic mechanism and good governance to eradicate the horrendous problems there so that people’s lives could be easier.
Posted on: 2014-10-23 08:49
(published in The Kathmandu Post http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2014/10/22/oped/postplatform--leaving-on-a-plane/268842.html)
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