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Land use controversies often dog the construction of hydroelectric projects. Many important projects are battling in the tribunals because of Geo-environmental concerns. The paucity of scientific studies objectively investigating the litigations further aggravates the unsolvability of the disputes. The Sawra-Kuddu Hydroelectric project, India, became a subject of litigation when project affected persons filed a suit in the National Green Tribunal questioning the sustainability of the built environment. The litigants petitioned that the additional adit's blasting vibrations can trigger the landslide of slip zone, and Thana village situated above it. The petitioners further claimed that vibrations had cracked the houses. They also asserted degradation in the apple cultivation due to tunnel construction. The tribunal took a stern note of the petition and banned the construction activities. The tribunal further ruled that a scientific investigation must be conducted to ascertain the cause of petitioners' claims. The study results revealed that the vibrations originating from adit excavation are insignificant and cannot destabilize the slip zone. The high fluctuation of annual rainfall and tectonic strain were deemed responsible for the differential settlement of foundations and cracks in the houses. The horticulture study indicated that the physiological processes of apple crops were normal. The study's findings convinced the tribunal, and construction activities were resumed, resulting in the disputed 111 MW project's commissioning. Many run-of-the-river hydroelectric projects in the world are battling similar litigations addressed in the present study. A similar objective methodology is a need for the hour to resolve other hydroelectric projects' sustainability issues. The study findings will pave the path for the swift resolution of land disputes related to similar projects.