CPI(M) seeks halt to NHAI twin-tunnel work amid cracks in Shimla buildings

CPI(M) state secretary Sanjay Chauhan has demanded that the tunnel construction work be stopped immediately and a comprehensive "Vulnerability Assessment" of the entire affected area be conducted before taking any further decision on the four-laning project.

The party has also sought adequate relief and compensation for people whose houses and other properties have suffered damage due to the construction activity.

Chauhan said that over the past few days, cracks had appeared in several houses located above the alignment of the twin tunnels and that the cracks were reportedly widening with each passing day. He claimed that around 10-12 houses had developed extensive cracks.

He alleged that NHAI and the company executing the tunnel work were carrying out the construction in an "arbitrary, unscientific and illegal" manner, resulting in damage to buildings in the area.

According to the CPI(M), more than 300 buildings could potentially be affected by the twin tunnels being constructed beneath the densely populated Bhattakufar and Shanti Vihar wards. The party estimated that around 3,500-4,000 people, including house owners, tenants and small business operators, could be affected if the construction proceeds.

Chauhan said that continuing the work could bring additional buildings within the affected zone, creating a potential housing crisis for residents who had invested their life savings in constructing their homes.

The CPI(M) also questioned the change in the alignment of the four-laning project. It said the original survey envisaged a direct road connection from Bhattakufar to Dhalli, for which land had been acquired and compensation paid to a large number of affected residents. Buildings were subsequently demolished to facilitate the project.

However, the party said NHAI later changed the alignment and proposed twin tunnels beneath the densely populated Bhattakufar and Shanti Vihar areas, with the tunnels emerging near Chalaunthi.

Chauhan alleged that the change in alignment was made without following due legal procedures. He further claimed that neither the government nor NHAI conducted a public hearing or held consultations with residents of the areas through which the tunnels are being constructed.

"Such projects cannot be executed arbitrarily without following due process and consulting the people who are directly affected," the CPI(M) said.

Highlighting the ecological and geological sensitivity of Himachal Pradesh, Chauhan said the consequences of unscientific construction in mountainous regions had been witnessed in recent disasters in Nepal, Uttarakhand and other parts of the region.

He said Himachal Pradesh was highly vulnerable from a geological and seismic perspective and alleged that large areas of the state had already been affected by four-laning projects and hydropower projects, leaving thousands of people facing displacement without adequate relief and rehabilitation.

The CPI(M) also cited earlier damage in Sanjay Van Colony and the Dhalli area in connection with the same four-laning project, alleging that buildings had collapsed or developed cracks due to construction activity. It said some of the affected buildings had subsequently been declared unsafe by the administration.

The party further alleged that agricultural land had also suffered substantial damage and that affected people were yet to receive compensation from NHAI or the construction company. It said some residents continued to remain displaced and were unable to return to their homes.

Chauhan said the CPI(M) stood with the affected residents and supported their demands for safety, relief, compensation and rehabilitation.

He also appealed to people across Himachal Pradesh to organise against what he described as "unscientific and illegal" construction practices by NHAI and other infrastructure companies, saying that protecting people's rights and interests was also essential for safeguarding the state's ecology and environment. (ANI)