Kathmandu, Jan. 24 -- The parliamentary International Relations Committee has told the government to issue a forest clearance permit to the proposed airport project in Nijgadh only after making sure that investment will be forthcoming. It is estimated that 2.4 million trees will need to be cut down to build the airport located in the middle of a tropical jungle in Bara district.

The $1.2-billion mega airport scheme envisions building a modern airport in Nijgadh, 175 km from Kathmandu in the southern plains, as an alternative to congestion and winter fog at Tribhuvan International Airport-the country's sole aerial gateway.

The House panel constituted the subcommittee under former prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal after protests erupted o...