Cracks appeared in a six-storey residential building in the Chalaunthi area of Shimla district late Tuesday night, forcing authorities to evacuate approximately 15 families into the cold. The incident triggered immediate blame on tunnel construction work being carried out by the National Highway Authority of India for the four-laning of a road between Bhattakufar and Chalaunthi.
Local residents alleged that blasting activities and excavation work for the highway project weakened the ground beneath their homes. Puja, a resident whose house developed cracks, said minor fissures had appeared three days earlier.
“The construction company, along with the district administration, was informed about it, but the company officials denied any major danger,” she said. On Friday evening, the cracks suddenly widened and company officials asked residents to leave.
Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh visited the site and placed full responsibility on NHAI. “The sole responsible for the current situation lies with the NHAI. It is the same tunnel that was the reason behind recent reported incidents including the cave-in of a road and the collapse of a five-storey building last year,” Singh said. He announced that blasting for tunnel construction would be banned immediately.
How crisis unfolded
The incident occurred barely six weeks after a road caved in at Bhattakuffar, reportedly linked to the same tunnel construction. An eight-year-old girl fell into that cavity. On June 30 last year, a five-storey building collapsed at Bhattakuffar, with residents again blaming NHAI for unscientific construction methods.
After the six-storey building showed cracks, authorities discovered similar damage in a nearby hotel and another residential building. All three structures were evacuated to prevent casualties. Sub-divisional magistrate Manjeet Sharma, who heads a committee assessing the damage, said over 40 people from 15 families vacated their buildings on Friday night.
Deputy Commissioner Shimla Anupam Kashyap said the committee would submit its report within a week. “The four-lane construction work at the site has been halted. Following the report, compensation proceedings will be initiated,” Kashyap said. A separate geological assessment team has also begun work.
Police closed the adjoining road temporarily and diverted traffic to alternate routes. The Dhalli-Sanjauli bypass was shut for heavy vehicles, causing severe congestion throughout Shimla, particularly in Sanjauli where traffic jams persisted all day.
What happens next
NHAI has decided to acquire residential buildings that became structurally unsafe from the blasting activities. An NHAI official confirmed that compensation for one building has been announced and acquisition procedures for a second building have started. “The authority is committed to providing all possible assistance to the affected residents,” the official said.
The project concessionaire had installed bi-reflex targets to monitor building conditions. NHAI has now directed additional targets be installed on nearby structures to continuously assess structural movement or damage. While NHAI maintained only controlled blasting was used, the authority instructed the concessionaire not to carry out any blasting in densely populated areas.
Alternative rental accommodation has been arranged for displaced families, who were initially moved to a Zila Parishad building where food and shelter were provided. Minister Singh said he spoke with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and NHAI officials about the matter.
Local residents remain angry and demand the tunnel work be stopped completely. One resident asked, “What is the need to do blasting when we have been complaining of vibrations, and now cracks have developed in houses. We have put all our earnings into constructing our houses. Where will we go now?”
Hotel and shop owners in the affected zone have sought compensation from NHAI, fearing significant business losses. The NHAI official said appropriate measures would be taken based on survey reports, adding that public safety remains the top priority.
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