We Won’t Let Sanjauli Become Another Joshimath: Residents Unite Against Twin Tunnel, Plan October 16 Rally

The message from Sanjauli was clear and unanimous: the proposed twin tunnel is not acceptable. At a joint meeting of the Twin Tunnel Affected Joint Struggle Committee and Shimla Nagrik Sabha held in Sanjauli today, residents, activists and local representatives discussed the issue at length and decided to launch a broad public movement against the project.

Environmental expert Dr. Om Prakash, addressing the meeting, warned that the area lies in the fragile hills of the Himalayas, where unchecked construction is already taking place. Building a tunnel in such a sensitive zone, he said, could put people’s lives, property and the environment at serious risk. He also criticised the government and administration for not taking local people into confidence and for failing to hold a transparent public hearing as required by rules.

The meeting also raised concerns about the damage already caused by four-lane construction. Alleged unscientific cutting and excavation by construction companies have damaged homes and agricultural land in several areas, including Chamiana and Matu Colony. Affected families, residents said, are still waiting for proper compensation. This, they added, raises serious questions about how the companies are working.

Representatives of both organisations said the twin tunnel issue is not limited to Shanti Vihar and Bhattakufar alone. The danger, they said, hangs over the entire Sanjauli area. Cracks in houses and the fear of a bigger disaster have led tenants to vacate rooms, hurting local businesses and the rental income of landlords.

“We cannot allow Sanjauli to become another Joshimath,” they warned, referring to the land subsidence disaster that caused huge losses to people there. The safety of local residents, they said, is paramount, and development cannot come at the cost of people’s lives and property.

It was decided at the meeting that a protest rally will be taken out in Sanjauli on October 16 against the alleged high-handedness of construction companies and the administration’s negligence. The rally, organisers said, will be completely non-political. They appealed to all citizens to join it, rising above religion, caste and political ideology. Speakers said the October 16 demonstration would mark the beginning of a larger public movement to save Sanjauli.

Main Demands

· The proposed twin tunnel construction in Sanjauli must be stopped completely with immediate effect.
· Four-lane construction should be carried out only according to the earlier survey and the approved alignment. If land was already acquired after a survey and affected people were compensated with taxpayers’ money, why is the old survey being ignored now in the name of a new alignment or twin tunnel? Who will be held accountable for the use of public money and compensation paid from people’s hard-earned money? If the construction plan has been changed, the reasons, technical basis, impact on public safety and additional government expenditure must be made public. Public money should be used in the public interest, not by putting people’s lives, homes and property at risk.
· A fresh public hearing should be held in the affected areas as per rules and with full transparency.
· The administration’s inquiry report should be made public.
· People whose houses have collapsed or developed cracks should be given proper compensation promptly.
· A survey of the areas affected by the four-lane and tunnel construction should be conducted by government and recognised expert institutions.
· Affected people whose compensation is still pending should be paid immediately.

On behalf of the Struggle Committee: Govind Chitrantta, Rajendra Chauhan, Anshul Chauhan, Advocate Ramesh Kumar, Satish, Ekta Sharma and Neena Datta.