‘International flights to Kushinagar will prove a game changer for east UP’

GORAKHPUR: A wave of happiness is sweeping across Kushinagar over the upcoming inauguration of the international airport by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 20 as the people expect a huge uptick in tourism and their earnings.
Kushinagar is the Mahaparinirvan sthali of Lord Buddha. By providing international air connectivity, Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has made Kushinagar easily accessible for Buddhist pilgrims across the world.

Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa will be aboard the first international flight landing at Kushinagar airport from Sri Lanka. Besides, 25 representatives and 100 Buddhist pilgrims will also arrive in the same flight. Many VVIPs and diplomats will also attend the inauguration.
International air connectivity will boost tourism which will pave way for employment generation, development and investments, said locals.
“Kushinagar International Airport has the longest runway of 3.2km length in the state and is 45m wide. The airport has the capacity for four arrivals and four departures of flights per hour. It also has a 3,600 square metre interim passenger building and arrangements are being made to make night flights also possible.
“The Uttar Pradesh government had signed an MoU with the Airport Authority of India on March 5, 2019. On October 4, 2019, the state government handed over the airport to the Airport authority. On the initiative of the state government, the Union cabinet declared it as an international airport on June 24, 2020, and the DGCA gave it licence on February 22, 2021,” said Kushinagar Airport director AK Dwivedi.
The international air connectivity will give a big boost to tourism as Buddhist pilgrims and tourists from Sri Lanka, Japan, China, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam will be able to reach Kushinagar directly. They will also cover the Buddha circuit, including Lumbini, Bodh Gaya and Sarnath, said Kushinagar MLA Rajnikant Mani.
“CM Yogi has been laying stress on tourism development and as per immigration bureau records, 42.17 lakh tourists visited Kushinagar from 18 Buddhist countries in the last five years. After international air connectivity, tourism will increase by 20%,” he added.
Anuj Srivastav, a research scholar at DDU Gorakhpur University, said CM Yogi’s focus on international air connectivity will prove to be a gamechanger for east UP. Gorakhpur is already connected with eight major cities by air and Uttar Pradesh has a strong network of roads. The region will certainly attract huge investment as a result, he added.
“The tourism boost will increase earnings of hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, guides and other service providers. Famous local products like terracotta, kalanamak rice, banana fibre products will get global recognition and market,” he said.
“Earlier, Kushinagar used to be in the news for malnutrition deaths in Musahar community, none were reported in the last 4.5 years,” said Sangita Jaiswal, a teacher.
Now, Musahars have pucca houses, electricity and get free ration. The CM gave Rs 421 crore development projects to the district last month, she added.
“Encephalitis was a major problem in Kushinagar and resulted in many casualties, but it is not so now. We are getting a medical college here so patients will not have to run to Gorakhpur. We have oxygen plants in CHCs and PHCs. There has been a revolution in healthcare in the district,” said Dr Asma Rizwan.