Himachal Pradesh News
Himachal Pradesh : Shimla buildings declared unsafe after cracks emerge during tunnel work on four-lane project
At least two buildings have been declared unsafe in the Chalaunthi area of Shimla after cracks developed in several structures earlier this year, allegedly due to tunnel construction work on the Dhalli–Kaithlighat four-lane highway project.
At least two buildings have been declared unsafe in the Chalaunthi area of Shimla after cracks developed in several structures earlier this year, allegedly due to tunnel construction work on the Dhalli–Kaithlighat four-lane highway project.
Of the affected buildings, one has been declared uninhabitable, while another has been termed temporarily unsafe. Residents of both structures have been shifted to safer locations as a precautionary measure.
The observations are part of a damage assessment report submitted on Wednesday to Shimla Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap by Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Rural) Manjeet Sharma, along with officials from the state geology department.
DC reviews situation, seeks compensation update
During a review meeting chaired by the Deputy Commissioner, representatives of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) were directed to update the administration on the status of compensation for affected families.
NHAI officials informed the DC that all required documents had been received from the district administration and forwarded to the concessionaire, who has further submitted them to the insurance company.
The DC instructed NHAI to complete all pending formalities within 15 days and to keep the SDM (Rural) regularly informed of the progress. He also sought a detailed report on the repair status of the damaged buildings.
Repair work to resume after snowfall
A representative of Bharat Construction (India) Private Limited, the executing agency, informed the meeting that work to fill the cracks was underway but had been temporarily halted due to snowfall, at the request of local residents. The agency assured that repair work would resume once weather conditions improve.
The Deputy Commissioner directed that all cracks be filled within one month. He also ordered an investigation into warning signals recorded by the spectrometer, directing officials to submit the report immediately to the SDM (Rural).
Relief measures for affected families
Officials informed the meeting that no one is currently residing in the Kisan Bhawan building at Dhalli. Additionally, six affected families have been provided rented accommodation.
The DC directed the concerned officials to submit copies of rent agreements to the SDM (Rural) within 10 days.
