Shimla, Oct. 30 -- The Himachal Pradesh high court sought a reply from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) as to why it abandoned the idea of a surface highway and switched to constructing twin tunnels in Sanjauli. The NHAI has reiterated that it will not "resume tunnelling activities until the IIT Roorkee expert team gives its approval on safety aspects". The NHAI said this during the hearing of a petition filed by Sanjauli residents. The residents, whose houses were damaged by the construction of the twin-tube Chalauthi-Sanjauli-Bhatta Kufar tunnel under Package No. 2, approached the HC seeking directions to compel NHAI to immediately halt the project. Justice Sandeep Sharma, while hearing the petition filed by eight Sanjauli residents on October 29, issued notices to the Union government, Himachal Pradesh government, NHAI, Shimla DC among others, directing them to file their replies within two weeks. The matter has been listed for next hearing on November 17, 2026. "The court sees no impediment in directing the NHAI to immediately suspend the work of construction of the tunnel, after the counsel representing the NHAI has already stated that the work stands suspended and same shall not be restarted till the time report is submitted by IIT Roorkee," the court in its detailed order said. The HC clarified that NHAI, while filing reply to the petition, shall specifically apprise this court that once it had already acquired land for construction of surface highway through Chhakrail, Bhatta Kufar and Dhalli and in that regard, huge compensation stood disbursed to the displaced persons, where was the occasion to abandon the idea of making surface highway and construct twin tunnel that too below the hill over which dense population resides....