Shimla Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap has ordered an administrative inspection of areas affected by the Dhalli–Kaithlighat four-lane tunnel project on October 22, 2026. The inspection follows reports of cracks in homes and a reported halt to tunnel work. An IIT Roorkee team has separately examined the tunnel and nearby ground; its technical findings are expected to guide the decision on whether, and under what conditions, construction can resume.
Why Shimla is inspecting the tunnel project
The inspection is a status check after residents reported cracking in residential buildings near the tunnel works. Kashyap constituted a committee on October 17, 2026, with instructions to visit affected locations on October 22 and report the current condition of construction and surrounding properties.
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Reports said work had been halted after cracks appeared in houses. Residents have alleged that blasting connected with excavation caused the damage, while the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has denied that blasting was taking place at the affected site. The administration’s inspection is intended to document conditions on the ground while the technical assessment is completed.
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The panel is chaired jointly by Additional District Magistrates Pankaj Sharma and Gyan Sagar Negi. Its other members are:
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- the Sub-Divisional Magistrate for Shimla Rural;
- the Public Works Department executive engineer for Kasumpti Circle; and
- the Shimla Rural tehsildar.
The committee must inspect the affected areas on October 22 and submit the current status of construction. The order makes the visit an administrative fact-finding exercise; it is not, by itself, a final engineering finding about the cracks.
Which locations and structures are involved
Reports identify locations around Sanjauli, Bhatta Kufar and Dhalli. The project includes twin tunnels between Chalaunthi and Chamiana. The precise number of affected buildings varies by report and locality, so the figures should not be combined into a single total:
| Reported figure | Attribution and scope |
|---|---|
| More than 10 residential buildings | The Tribune News Service reported this figure for Shanti Vihar Ward, where cracks were reported in September 2026. |
| At least seven buildings | Hindustan Times reported this number near the Cemetery locality on September 20, 2026. |
| 250 to 300 buildings potentially over the tunnel | Former Shimla mayor Sanjay Chauhan told Hindustan Times that the tunnel passes beneath this many buildings and warned of significant danger if work continued. |
These are separately attributed reports from different dates or areas. They do not establish that every building in the larger estimate has been damaged.
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An IIT Roorkee team has already visited the tunnel and surrounding area. Asianet Newsable reported that the team was expected to submit a detailed assessment within a week, while UNI reported that decisions on construction would follow its findings.
A technical review can help distinguish among possible causes of cracking, such as excavation-induced ground movement, vibration, pre-existing structural weakness or other local conditions. The available reports do not publish the team’s conclusions, so no causal explanation has been established yet. Its report is expected to inform decisions about restarting, modifying or continuing the work.
Did blasting cause the cracks?
The allegation remains unresolved. Residents have described what the Indian Express called “rampant blasting” and linked it to damage in their homes. NHAI denied that blasting was occurring at the affected site and said blasting requires approval from the district administration.
Until the IIT assessment and administrative review are made public, it is not accurate to state that blasting caused the cracks or that construction methods have been cleared. The inspection and technical report address different parts of the dispute: the committee records the present condition and project status, while the engineering team evaluates the tunnel and surrounding ground.
When will tunnel construction restart?
No restart date has been announced in the available reporting. Construction was reported halted while the complaints were examined. UNI reported that the next decision would depend on the IIT Roorkee findings, and the October 22 committee visit will provide an updated administrative record.
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A restart decision would need to account for:
- the independent technical evidence on structural and ground risk;
- compliance with any directions issued by the district administration;
- the safety of residents and workers during further excavation;
- effects on the project schedule and local access; and
- responsibility for repairs or compensation if construction-related damage is established.
Those criteria describe the issues decision-makers must weigh; they are not a published timetable or a finding that any party is liable.
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Inspection findings
The committee’s report should clarify which streets and buildings it inspected, whether work remained stopped, and what immediate safeguards were recommended.
IIT Roorkee’s report
The technical report is the key unresolved evidence on the tunnel’s effect on nearby structures and ground conditions. Its conclusions, methodology and any recommended monitoring or redesign measures will determine how much certainty officials can assign to competing explanations.
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Administrative and project directions
Residents should look for a formal order stating whether work may resume, remain suspended or proceed with conditions such as instrumentation, vibration limits, staged excavation, building surveys or emergency repairs. No such conditions have been published in the reports currently available.
Quick Recap
What is established so far
- The deputy commissioner formed a committee on October 17, 2026, for an October 22 inspection.
- The committee covers areas around Sanjauli, Bhatta Kufar and Dhalli, including the Chalaunthi–Chamiana twin tunnels.
- Tunnel work was reported halted after complaints about cracks in homes.
- An IIT Roorkee team has inspected the site, but its findings have not yet been reported.
- Residents’ blasting allegations and NHAI’s denial remain conflicting accounts; there is no final published causal finding.
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