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Residents blame NHAI for building collapse in Himachal
Authorities have promised a fair inquiry and have begun structural assessment of nearby buildings while relief and rehabilitation efforts are going on
The residents are blaming the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for the collapse of five-story building in Shimla’s Bhattakufer. Residents are demanding accountability from the executing company and NHAI. The administration, including the local MLA and cabinet minister Anirudh Singh visited the site. Authorities have promised a fair inquiry and have begun structural assessment of nearby buildings while relief and rehabilitation efforts are going on.
“The building was named as Raj Niwas and we vacated it the last night only. One can see that the building collapsed owing to the cutting by NHAI for four-laning work of the Dhalli bypass. The cutting caused damaged to the building in the area and we had been raising the issue but no one bothered,” said the building owner and resident Ranjana.
LR Kondal, a local resident, alleged that his building too is in danger. “The NHAI contractor dug up the area to extract stone, and this has completely destabilised everything and buildings are in danger.” He said, “The work is going on even during the rains. Now a building has collapsed and my building too has developed cracks.”
“The residents are living in fear as many more buildings are showing signs of structural damage. The residents have been taking up the matter with NHAI for last 5 days but they did not budge. District administration has been directed to provide immediate relief,” said panchayati raj minister and Kasumpati MLA Anirudh Singh.
Detailed inquiry needed: SDM
Shimla rural sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Manjeet Sharma, who visited the site, said, “At around 8 am, a five-storey building belonging to Ranjana collapsed. The building was evacuated last night. There are three to four more buildings adjacent to it which are vulnerable. We’ve vacated all of them. There has been no loss of life,” while adding “As of now, we have shifted ten families, including both owners and tenants, from the five vacated buildings.”
“The possible cause could be linked to ongoing four-laning (highway widening) work in the area being executed by the NHAI,” said Sharma, adding “It appears the ground has loosened due to the highway construction work, especially due to heavy machinery being used for stone excavation. However, this is a technical issue and we will only be able to confirm the exact reason after a detailed inquiry. If the inquiry finds the company or NHAI responsible, compensation will be arranged accordingly.”
“Some stabilisation efforts were made by the company earlier, but they seemingly did not work. A civil engineering team will assess the structural safety of the remaining buildings. Those that are unsafe will remain vacated until further notice,” Sharma added.
Former mayor seeks accountability of NHAI
In a letter to Solan superintendent of police, former Mayor Tikender Singh Panwar, said that a police complaint which was filed by him in the year 2023 against the NHAI pertaining to the officers linked with the four lane work from Parwanoo to Dharampur. He said, “It has been two years and it was expected that this complaint should have at least triggered some pro-active and scientific based construction work by the aforesaid authority. However, just the first monsoon rain of 2025 has once again devastated the myth that the NHAI is competent enough to construct such highways in the Himalayas. I reiterate that officials of the NHAI must be taken to task and the same complaint be treated as an FIR and fresh investigation may be conducted against them and their culpability may be fixed on two counts - economic losses to the people because of their criminal negligence; and physical losses to the people travelling on the highway.”
According to Chamiyana gram panchayat vice president (Up Pradhan) Yashpal Verma, cracks developed in the building last year but officials of the company constructing the kaithlighat-Dhalli four-lane road assured that the building was safe. Verma said the panchayat had written to the company to stop work as it was rendering buildings unsafe. However, they continued construction activities, leading to the collapse of the building.
Neeraj Chahal, liaison officer of Gawar Construction Limited, the company which is carrying out work for NHAI, talking to media, said, “There has been heavy rainfall over the past three days. Even the iron mesh and rods inserted into the hillside– slope protection work, were destroyed in the landslide.”
