Chitwan, May 4 -- Travellers passing through Muglin of late may have noticed heavy-duty machines digging into the cliffs across the Trishuli river, with stones and soil falling directly into the water-a concern for locals and environmentalists alike.

This is part of a road work-an alternative to the Narayanghat-Muglin road section.

Construction has started on an alternative road running parallel to the Narayanghat-Muglin stretch, one of the country's busiest and most landslide-prone routes. Despite being widened to two lanes by Asian standards, the Narayanghat-Muglin road often suffers landslides, mostly during the monsoon, disrupting transport linking Kathmandu and Pokhara with the country's eastern and western parts.

As a plan to tac...