Shimla Homes Crack: Tunnel Project Sparks Fear

Seventy-four-year-old Satish Sharma and his family face sleepless nights as fresh cracks spread across their Shimla home. At least 16 buildings in the Sanjauli area have sustained similar structural damage, alarming nearly 1,000 local families. Residents blame the National Highways Authority of India's (NHAI) underground twin-tunnel project for the instability, fearing a disaster akin to Joshimath.

Despite the temporary halt in work, residents like Sharma and retired employee Lekh Ram Koundal remain fearful. Koundal's family was previously rendered homeless by earlier highway excavations in 2025. They are still awaiting compensation. Local councillor Vineet Sharma has organized a protest for October 16, demanding an end to tunneling until a thorough geological study is completed.

Residents question NHAI's shift from a surface alignment to underground tunnels without fresh public consent or impact assessments. They argue the initial plan, which involved land acquisition and compensation, was abandoned for the tunnels. An engineer noted that residents only learned about the tunnels recently, after damage began to appear, despite fragile local strata.

Following orders to suspend drilling, NHAI announced a comprehensive survey of 500 houses in the project's influence zone. Anand Dahiya, NHAI project director, stated the survey's findings will guide the resumption of work. A team from IIT-Roorkee has also conducted a preliminary inspection to analyze causes and recommend safety precautions.