Chitwan, April 30 -- Nearly two years after its foundation stone was laid with much fanfare, the Narayani 'iconic' bridge is still stuck in groundwork, with only foundations and preparatory works visible even as river levels rise and the construction timeline quietly slips further.

Heavy machinery lines the riverbanks, with workers seen digging and binding steel reinforcement bars. The river has turned murky and swollen, but no major structural elements of the bridge have been built so far.

The foundation stone was laid nearly two years ago, in late April 2024, by then prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. However, even at that time, the bridge design had not been finalised. The design was approved only on November 4 last year, after which...