Road subsidence in Shimla sparks safety alarm, construction stalled

Taking serious note of the road subsidence at Bhattakufar in Shimla, Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap has suspended all construction activities on the Kaithlighat-Dhalli four-lane project with immediate effect, pending a detailed safety assessment. The action follows a frightening incident in which a section of road suddenly sank just as schoolchildren were boarding a bus. One of the bus’s front tyres became trapped in the pit, triggering panic among the students and nearby residents.

Amid the chaos, a Class VIII student from Auckland House School slipped into the pit created by the collapse. Locals quickly intervened and rescued her using a rope, preventing a potentially grave tragedy. Shortly after, the Deputy Commissioner and the Senior Superintendent of Police reached the spot, accompanied by other officials, to review the situation first-hand.

During the inspection, Kashyap instructed the Additional District Magistrate (Law & Order) and the Additional Superintendent of Police, Shimla, to submit an immediate report on the tunnel excavation work underway as part of the four-lane expansion between Kaithlighat and Shimla. He said this was the first such incident near the project site and that the collapse appeared uncomfortably close to the tunnel construction zone, making a temporary halt essential for public safety.

The district administration has written to the State Disaster Management Authority, flagging the risk of a larger disaster. Residents had earlier complained of cracks developing in their homes, prompting an administrative survey that confirmed visible structural damage. Kashyap also said the Survey of India would be formally notified and supplied with a detailed incident report.

Meanwhile, the National Highway Authority of India distanced the incident from its four-laning project, stating that the subsidence occurred on the existing Shimla Bypass on NH-05, a stretch maintained by the Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department on NHAI’s behalf.

Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh questioned the quality of ongoing construction works, asserting that incidents jeopardising public safety would not be tolerated.