Himachal High Court Halts Sanjauli Tunnel Work Over Safety Concerns
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has ordered the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to immediately stop further construction of the twin-tube tunnel near Chalauthi, Sanjauli and Bhatta Kuffar, citing concerns over the safety of houses located above and around the project.
Justice Sandeep Sharma observed that although IIT Roorkee had been asked to examine records related to the tunnel construction, there was no reason to allow the work to continue until the safety concerns were properly addressed.
The court also raised questions over the reported expenditure of Rs 600 crore from the public exchequer as compensation for land acquired for the original surface highway. It asked the NHAI to explain who would be responsible for the loss after the authority abandoned the surface road plan and opted for a twin-tube tunnel instead.
The matter was brought before the court by residents of Sanjauli, who alleged that ongoing tunnel construction had damaged their homes and sought an immediate halt to the work.
According to documents placed before the court, land had originally been acquired for a surface highway passing through Chhakrail, Bhatta Kuffar and Dhalli as part of the Shimla bypass project on NH-05. Around Rs 600 crore was reportedly paid as compensation to land and house owners, while 88 families were displaced after their houses were demolished.
The petitioners said the original bypass plan did not include a twin-tube tunnel and questioned the subsequent change in the project.
The court also took note of a Geological Survey of India (GSI) document that reportedly advised against constructing a tunnel through the hill, which has hundreds of houses. The advisory, however, appeared to have been ignored.
Adding to the concerns, the court noted reports of water gushing out from both sides of the tunnel, an issue that had also been flagged by the GSI.
The GSI report further indicated that at some locations, including areas near the cemetery and Vishal Mega Mart, the vertical distance between the tunnel and the ground surface above is just 14 metres, raising further concerns for the residential neighbourhoods situated over the project.