Residents of Sanjauli, Bhatta Kuffar, Shanti Vihar and adjoining areas of Shimla on Friday staged a protest march towards Sanjauli Chowk against the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and other authorities over the alignment of a twin-tunnel project, alleging that cracks have developed in buildings and raising concerns about the safety of densely populated residential areas.
“Our protest has been going on for quite some time. We want to know why the original survey alignment for the twin tunnels from Bhatta Kuffar through Chalauthi to Dhalli was changed and what circumstances necessitated the change. Whenever a major project involving tunnelling or a four-lane highway is undertaken, public hearings should be held. However, no public hearing has been conducted with the affected residents,” he alleged.
Govind Chitranta, a local resident associated with the protest, said the committee had been constituted to raise the concerns of affected residents and seek accountability from the authorities and the agencies executing the project. Narender Thakur, president of the committee and a local councillor, said residents were peacefully protesting to protect their homes and sought an opportunity to present their concerns before the state government, including the chief minister.
