9 houses damaged in Uttarakhand, residents blame rail tunnel blasting
What's the story
In the Srinagar town of Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal district, residents have blamed the under-construction Rishikesh-Karnaprayag railway project for damaging their homes. At least nine houses in a locality have developed cracks due to alleged blasting during tunnel excavation work. The project is being executed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL).
Damage report
Vibrations, loud blasts during tunneling work
Local Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vasudev Kandari said his house in Teachers' Colony, which is located just 200 meters from the tunnel site, has been severely damaged. "We could feel vibrations and hear loud blasts," he said. The blasts have caused cracks in the walls, floor, and lintel of his home.
Shared concerns
Entire courtyard of my house collapsed: Resident
Another resident, Rakesh Naithani, also shared his experience of living with the damage. He said minor cracks had appeared for over a year and worsened with monsoon rains this year. "Last month, the entire courtyard of my house collapsed," Naithani said. He added that he spent ₹2 lakh on urgent repairs to prevent further damage.
Ongoing investigation
RVNL to provide compensation if report proves damage caused
RVNL's geologist Vijay Dangwal said, "As soon as we received the information, we visited the site. Residents have expressed apprehensions and alleged that the blasting for our main tunnel passing through Srinagar has caused the cracks. He added, "Our experts have inspected the affected area, and if it is established that the damage occurred due to our construction, we will provide full compensation. We do not want the public to suffer because of our project."
Compensation details
About Rishikesh-Karnaprayag railway project
The 125.20-km-long Rishikesh-Karnaprayag railway project will connect Rishikesh to Karnaprayag. It includes 35 bridges and 17 tunnels, including a major tunnel from Devprayag to Lachmoli. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had said the first phase is likely to be completed by 2026. An RVNL official had earlier said they have paid compensation for damages in over 1,500 houses across multiple districts due to blasting for tunnel construction.
Research findings
Direct compensation instead of detailed study
In September 2023, the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) found issues with the frequency parameter of vibration in blasting processes for tunneling. A CBRI team member recommended that sensors be placed on firm strata instead of loose soil to measure vibrations accurately. However, RVNL opted for direct compensation instead of a detailed study, citing time constraints.