Palpa, July 18 -- Despite the Siddhababa tunnel project work progressing rapidly, deadly landslides along the Palpa-Butwal road section have remained a serious concern. The recent death of 36-year-old Janak Bhandari, a motorcyclist from Tilpur in ward 6 of Ramapur Municipality, in a landslide near Dobhan, has reignited fears. His wife was injured in the incident.

Whether it is monsoon season or dry winter, many people perish in landslides in the Siddhababa section of the Siddhartha Highway every year. According to the data at the District Traffic Police Office in Palpa, as many as 68 people have died and 57 others were injured in the Siddhababa section due to landslides, rockfalls and accidents over the past decade.

A 1,126-metre long t...