Palpa, Dec. 4 -- Work on the Siddhababa Tunnel along the Siddhartha Highway is at a snail's pace with only 1.69 percent progress recorded over the past two months. Project engineers and residents alike are concerned about the slow work progress.

According to an update from the project office, physical progress stood at 62.75 percent and financial progress at 53.09 percent by mid-November; these figures show only marginal gains since mid-September.

"Over the last eight weeks, work has slowed significantly," said project information officer Sabita Gyawali. "The contractor, China State Construction Engineering Corporation, has confined its recent activity to culvert and portal construction. While the work of 17 metres of the north portal a...