Despite the COVID-19 lockdown which affected all construction works, local MyRepublica write that Bheri-Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project is exempted becaue of its national importance. MyRepublica quotes Krishna Upadhyaya, information officer and divisional engineer of the project saying tunnel works of Babai is worked on.

Bheri Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project (BBDMP) is a inter-basin water transfer project conceptualized to provide round the year irrigation facility to 51,000 A of land of Banke and Bardiya districts. Therefore, it has purposes of hydropower and irrigation. It involves construciton of 12 km long tunnel across the youngest mountain chain, i.e. Siwaliks, surge shaft and powerhouse at Hattikhal, Bardiya. For the first time in Nepal, Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) is used to excavate the tunnel through fragile rocks of Siwaliks.

https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/construction-works-at-bheri-babai-continues-despite-lockdown/