‘Act of god’: NHAI says landslides not due to Shimla 4-lane project

Key points

• Kullu: Terming landslides near the Shimla highway bypass project an ‘act of god', Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has refused to pay environmental compensation for the alleged damage to an apple orchard during four-laning work from Shakral to Dhalli near Mashobra in Shimla district.In a counter-affidavit filed before Green Tribunal (NGT), NHAI has said that damage to private property due to a ‘natural calamity' does not constitute an environmental dispute.
• The affidavit states that heavy rainfall during the monsoon of 2025 triggered landslides all over Himachal Pradesh, including the project area, hence it constitutes an "act of god and beyond the control of NHAI'"NHAI has also questioned the accuracy of a horticulture department assessment that 440 apple trees were damaged on private land due to landslides allegedly triggered by hill cutting linked to the four-laning work and pegged the loss at over Rs 32.3 lakh.According to the affidavit, NHAI's project...