Nagadhunga-Sisnekhola tunnel work has been stopped for 22 days on Sunday. There is still confusion as to when the construction will start. The construction of the tunnel has come to a standstill due to the obstruction of the locals. Neither the government has made any effort to start the work, nor have the locals facilitated it.

The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, the local bodies have become depressed when the work has stopped while the first road tunnel in Nepal is being put into operation. Even though a solution was initiated to complete the general formalities, the work of the country's first road tunnel has not been able to proceed because no one has tried to find a sustainable solution. Locals have interrupted the work by repeating the demands that the

project has mostly met. While the construction work is in the final stage, the project has been pushed back due to local obstacles. The locals have not allowed to work since Chait 3 saying that they have to settle the demands that have been fulfilled. Now the work has been stopped on both Kathmandu and Dhading. Sanjay Panthi, Senior Divisional Engineer of Nagadhunga-Tunnel Construction Project, said that the problem arose when the locals did not come even after calling for talks time and time again.

"Instead of sending a letter to come to the talks, they have not come, we are trying to solve the problem through talks," he said, "we are in the process of discussion in the road department about how to proceed with the construction work". He said that the locals did not allow the construction work to be done because the project will be sent to the relevant agency to fulfill the demand.  It has been a month since the locals blocked it, but the solution has not been found yet.  

It has been found that the ministry has not taken any initiative for immediate solutions despite the fact that the locals have repeatedly obstructed the construction. Even earlier, when the work was stopped for a month, the related body became depressed. If the builders claim compensation for the period of work stoppage, there is a risk that the government will have to pay the daily rate of around 5 million. Lavram Subedi, ward member of Ward No. 2 in Chandragiri Municipality, claims that the locals stopped the work after the project did not fulfill the demands that they had promised to complete.

'This happened because the problems that are happening in the ward were not resolved,' he said, 'We have sent a letter and informed the relevant bodies about the demands of the locals, the demands raised since the start of the project have not been fulfilled until the construction is about to be completed.' The source of drinking water has dried up and now the project has provided water. But he said that the fee will have to be paid tomorrow and not everyone can afford to pay for the water. "If the government was serious about the demands of the locals, there would be no problem," he said.

Even if the project leader is changing rapidly, it is difficult to solve the problems that appear in the project immediately. Now the project is leaderless. After project chief Gyanendra Kumar Jha was transferred to Suryavinayak-Dhulikhel road project, Nagadhunga-Tunnel construction project became leaderless.

Work was underway to bring the tunnel into operation by October 2082. But in the meantime, the problem has been added after the locals obstructed the work. Currently, lighting, ventilation, construction of concrete road inside the tunnel are in the final stage. The work of the flyover, which is in the final stage of construction in Kisipdi area in Balambu, has also come to a standstill. The residents of Chandragiri-2 Tutipakha have put forward a demand that the ongoing programs or projects should be continued through the project or should be conducted through the road department.