The Department of Roads is set to implement the “rock-barrier and rock-net” technology to minimise the landslide risk at Siddhababa along Siddhartha Highway in Palpa.

The area is an active rock-fall zone where falling rocks and landslips have caused several accidents and loss of lives. Officials said the

department in coordination with Austria Trumer Schutzbauten Company, is going to be use the technology at Bartung-Chidiyakhola section of the highway.

Keshav Sharma, deputy director general of the department, said the technology which is going to be used in the most dangerous section of the road will hold falling rocks inside the rock net. Ten locations in the highway are regarded as most dangerous zones.

Geologist Ranjan Dahal said the technology is cost effective and the company is applying it for the first time in Nepal. He also informed that the technology may not be applicable due the difficult geographical terrain in the country.

Markus Haidn, engineer with the Austrian Mountain Risk, said they will study the cliff’s height, rocks and their sizes and their impact starting Tuesday. “Following the evaluation, we will construct the net to hold the falling rocks,” he said.

Sujan adhikari, chief of Number Three Road Division Office, informed that the company will place the rock barrier and rock net free of cost in 100 meters section for testing. “The technology is successful in other countries and we hope it will also be successful here too,” he said. Experts said the rock nets are prepared to minimise the potentiality of falling rocks.

They also expressed hopes that the technology will help address the problem in the area. Austrian engineers said the technology was successfully implemented in Austria, Germany, Japan, Canada and the US.