Shimla
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has raised serious concerns over cracks appearing in buildings in Shanti Vihar Ward, Bhattakufar and adjoining areas of Shimla, allegedly due to the ongoing construction of twin tunnels from Chalaunti to Bhattakufar under the National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI) four-laning project.
The party has urged both the Centre and the Himachal Pradesh government to immediately halt the tunnel construction and conduct a comprehensive vulnerability assessment of the affected area before taking any further decision on the project. It has also demanded appropriate relief and compensation for residents whose properties have suffered damage.
According to the CPI(M), cracks have appeared in several houses located above the tunnel alignment over the past few days and are reportedly widening. The party claimed that around 10 to 12 houses have developed extensive cracks, raising concerns over the safety of residents and the structural stability of buildings in the area.
The party alleged that the construction work is being carried out in an “unscientific and arbitrary” manner and claimed that the twin tunnels could potentially affect more than 300 buildings and around 3,500 to 4,000 people, including homeowners, tenants and small business owners. It warned that further construction could put additional buildings at risk and create a housing crisis for affected residents.
The CPI(M) also questioned the change in the original alignment of the project. According to the party, the initial survey envisaged a direct four-lane route from Bhattakufar towards Dhalli, for which land had been acquired and compensation paid to several affected residents before buildings were demolished for construction. The alignment was subsequently changed, with the proposed tunnels being taken beneath the densely populated Bhattakufar and Shanti Vihar areas and emerging near Chalaunti.
The party alleged that the change in alignment was made without adequate public consultation or a hearing involving residents of the affected areas. It demanded that the authorities clarify the legal and procedural basis for the change before proceeding further with construction.
Citing the fragile geology of Himachal Pradesh and its seismic vulnerability, the CPI(M) said large infrastructure projects in mountain regions require careful scientific assessment. It also referred to previous damage to buildings in the Sanjay Van Colony and Dhalli areas allegedly linked to four-laning work, claiming that some structures were subsequently declared unsafe and that affected residents had yet to receive adequate compensation for damage to their homes and agricultural land.
The party said it stood with the affected residents and supported their demands for safety, relief, compensation and rehabilitation. It also appealed to people across the state to oppose what it described as unscientific and unsafe construction practices and to raise concerns over projects that could affect residential areas, ecology and the environment.
The CPI(M) maintained that development projects in ecologically sensitive hill regions must balance infrastructure needs with public safety, environmental protection and the rights of affected communities.
