Overview
- In May 2026 NHAI filed a counter-affidavit in the National Green Tribunal saying heavy monsoon rain in 2025 caused the landslides and that it will not pay environmental compensation.
- The agency asked the Shimla SDM to have the horticulture department re-examine its estimate after the concessionaire reported about 40 apple trees on the plot instead of the department's 440.
- Petitioner Narender Singh Rathore has alleged that hill cutting for the Shakral–Dhalli four‑laning work destabilised slopes, damaged orchards and threatened houses, prompting the original complaint to the NGT.
- Villagers forcibly stopped construction in June 2025 over safety fears, leaving the bypass project stalled while NHAI says it has removed debris and put up temporary protections such as tarpaulins, barricades and retaining works.
- The dispute now turns on causation, the accuracy of field assessments and NGT direction, and the outcome could determine whether the project resumes and whether landowners receive compensation.