Palpa, Aug. 7 -- Ten years after the construction began, the Dobhan-Nuwakot road-designed as an alternative route to the landslide-prone Siddhababa section of Siddhartha Highway-remains unfinished. Despite being touted as a crucial detour that would ease long traffic jams caused by frequent landslides, especially during the monsoon, the road has yet to be blacktopped.

The road spans the districts of Palpa and Rupandehi. While the 9-km stretch in Rupandehi was blacktopped five years ago, the 8-km Palpa section is still incomplete, despite falling under the federal government's jurisdiction. The Road Division Office in Palpa is responsible for maintenance and upgrade of the road on the Palpa side.

Initial contracts for the road were signe...