Punjab Newsline, Shimla -
NHAI clarifies that some sections of the media have reported about the irregularities in the forest clearances for the construction of NH projects in Himachal, such claims are misleading and factually incorrect.
Spoksperson from NHAI said, that the construction activities under NHAI in the state of Himachal Pradesh are carried out after taking due permission from the concerned authorities, no illegal activities have been undertaken, and extreme care is exercised during the implementation of the national highway projects.
The Shimla Bypass project, highlighted in the media reports, was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, Government of India in May 2016 and approvals were duly obtained from the MoEF&CC and State Government of Himachal Pradesh before its implementation. The diversion of 40.3 ha Forest land was obtained and approved by MoEF&CC and Himachal Pradesh Government for stage-I in July 2017 and Stage-II in October 2017.
NHAI Clarify that all construction activities have been initiated after obtaining appropriate approvals from the relevant authorities. During construction, additional forest land for the purpose of access road, dumping sites and construction of tunnel was required. The diversion of additional forest land was applied and the same was approved as stage-I working approval for Kaithlighat to Shakral section for 11.7 ha. in March 2023 and Shakral to Dhalli section for 19.17 ha. in August 2023. Phase 2 approval date as per sub-rule (10) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change's notification is 5 years after the Phase 1 approval date, i.e till March 2028. Hence, Phase 2 approval will be taken before the stipulated deadline. It is further clarified that in both the Stage-1 approved cases, no other activities are executed except for dumping, access road and Tunnelling.
NHAI also cleryfy that some public representatives are misguiding the public about non-compliance of clearances by NHAI in execution of NH projects in Himachal Pradesh. NHAI would like to reiterate, that for this project, all construction activities in the state of Himachal Pradesh have been undertaken after due approval of the concerned authorities.
Also, NHAI is working on war footing to restore National Highway network in Himachal Pradesh which was damaged by torrential rains/floods. As of September 24, 2025, NHAI has successfully connected all 11 damaged locations on the Kullu-Manali section of National Highway 3 (previously designated as NH-21) in a record time of 12 days, achieving this milestone on September 15, 2025, following severe torrential rains and flash floods in late August that washed away portions of the road and isolated Manali from the rest of Himachal Pradesh. The initial damage affected around 10-12 sites that were completely destroyed and 5 that were partially impacted, with restoration work progressing on a war-footing basis despite challenges like inaccessible spots near areas such as Bindu Dhak and Kalath.
Early plans to airlift heavy equipment were hampered by persistent poor weather, leading NHAI to shift to road transportation for machinery deployment. Over 70 machines have been mobilized across the affected stretches, with additional units en route or operational, focusing on emergency repairs to minimize disruptions to travel, tourism, and local commerce—particularly aiding apple orchardists during harvest season by enabling produce transport to markets. The left bank alternative route has been made operational through the Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department (HPPWD) with financial aid provided to ease traffic between Manali and Kullu, providing partial connectivity during the main highway’s downtime.
Out of these 11 locations, the majority have been widened to two lanes to ease traffic movement. Key progress includes the temporary restoration of single-lane traffic for approximately 17 miles (about 27 km) starting from Patlikuhl toward Manali, achieved in record time to restore basic access. The full Kiratpur-Manali corridor was partially reopened for one-way movement on September 16 after nearly three weeks of closure, with ongoing repairs at vulnerable points like Raison now allowing temporary passage. A new traffic management plan has been implemented to handle the flow amid these works, prioritizing safety and efficiency. However, some sections remain under active reconstruction, and travellers are advised to check real-time updates due to potential weather-related setbacks.
Work is being done on a war footing to complete the two-lane restoration before the upcoming tourist season, supported by the financial aid in central funding and long-term plans like tunnels and elevated structures to prevent future damage.