NHAI plans to document the condition of around 500 houses along the Bhatta-Kufar-Chalaunthi twin-tunnel alignment before construction resumes, according to a report published by The News Himachal on October 10, 2026. The proposed survey would use photographs and video to record existing conditions. It is a baseline record—not a finding about what caused cracks already reported in nearby buildings, and not a confirmed restart announcement.
What NHAI has proposed
The News Himachal reported that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) plans a detailed condition survey of around 500 houses along the proposed tunnel alignment. Photographs and video are intended to document the houses before work resumes. The report does not establish whether the survey has begun, its exact boundary or method, or when it will be completed.
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The tunnels form part of the Kaithlighat-Dhalli four-lane project. The News Himachal described the proposed twin-tunnel length as about 2.712 kilometres and reported that around 700 metres had been completed at the time of its October 10 report. Those project figures are attributed to that outlet and were not independently verified in the other reviewed coverage.
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Why work stopped
Cracks were reported in buildings in the Shanti Vihar/Cemetery area. Hindustan Times said cracks were reported on September 19, 2026, and that work was stopped afterward. Its October 2 report said at least seven buildings had cracks. The Indian Express reported on September 21 that an administrative team assessed eight buildings. These counts refer to different reporting and activities; neither means that all houses in the proposed 500-home survey are damaged.
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Residents linked the cracks to tunnel work, and some alleged nighttime blasting. Those are residents’ claims, not established technical findings. NHAI Project Director Anand Dhayia told The Indian Express that blasting at the affected site had been suspended since November 2025 and said district-administration permission was required and had not been granted for blasting in that section. That is NHAI’s account; the reviewed reports do not provide an independent blasting log.
Shimla Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap told The Indian Express: “The exact cause of the cracks is yet to be ascertained.” A reported Geological Survey of India visit and an IIT Roorkee geotechnical study are investigative steps, not conclusions that tunnelling caused the damage.
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What the different investigations and actions can establish
| Stage | Purpose | What it does not establish by itself |
|---|---|---|
| Proposed house-condition survey | Record the condition of houses along the alignment, reportedly with photographs and video, before construction resumes. | It does not identify the cause of existing cracks or guarantee repair or compensation. |
| Geological and geotechnical assessment | Examine possible causes and ground or structural conditions. The Indian Express reported a GSI visit; Hindustan Times reported that IIT Roorkee had started a geotechnical study. | The reviewed reports contain no final findings from either assessment. |
| Repairs, safeguards and restart decision | Determine what repair or reinforcement may be needed and whether, how, and when construction can proceed. | No specific restart date or published resumption criteria were reported. |
The News Himachal reported that repairs and reinforcement would be assessed in light of survey findings. That does not amount to a confirmed repair or compensation decision for any particular home.
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- September 19, 2026: Hindustan Times reported that cracks were reported and that tunnel work was stopped afterward.
- September 20–21: NHAI’s position, carried by ANI, described remedial measures including grouting, structural retrofitting, crack sealing and brickwork restoration. These are measures the agency said it had undertaken, not an independent engineering determination of cause or adequacy.
- September 21: The Indian Express reported residents’ allegations, NHAI’s response, the Deputy Commissioner’s statement that the cause was undetermined, a GSI visit and assessment of eight buildings.
- October 2: Hindustan Times reported that IIT Roorkee had begun a geotechnical study and that NHAI officials said the project was on hold pending technical findings. Residents also raised concerns about alignment, safety, compensation and consultation.
- October 10: The News Himachal reported the planned survey of around 500 houses. It also said Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh met around 300 building owners and committee members and offered to arrange a meeting with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
What is still not known
As of the October 10 report, the coverage reviewed did not say whether the 500-house survey had started, define its precise scope or methodology, or give a completion date. It also did not report final GSI or IIT Roorkee findings, establish whether the cracks resulted from tunnelling or another cause, set a date for resuming work, or specify which homes might receive repairs, reinforcement, restoration or compensation.
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Residents are seeking safety assurances and restoration or compensation. BJP MP Suresh Kashyap told Hindustan Times: “If one house is affected, the possible impact on the houses around it must also be scientifically investigated.” That is a call for broader assessment, not an engineering finding. The next meaningful updates are therefore the survey record, published technical conclusions, and a clear account of any safety conditions attached to a restart.
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Sources
- The News Himachal, October 10, 2026
- Hindustan Times, October 2, 2026
- The Indian Express, September 21, 2026
- ANI, September 20, 2026
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