2025 landslide in Shimla Act of God, NHAI tells NGT, rejects compensation claim

New Delhi ( Pallavi Srivastava) : The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has told the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that it is not liable to pay compensation to owners of agricultural land as the May 2025 landslide that occurred in Shimla was an ‘Act of God.’

The NHAI submitted its reply against the plea filed in January, claiming that the heavy construction work being undertaken by the authority and its concessionaire, without properly strengthening a slope, had damaged agricultural land in Shimla rural tehsil, causing landslides.

It’snoteworthy here that The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has extensive powers to impose penalties and mandate monetary compensation for environmental violations based on the “polluter pays” principle. It can enforce environmental compensation up to 5% of a project’s cost, or calculate fines using project turnover and pollution scales