Pakistan's Concerns Over India's Chenab–Beas Tunnel Project and Its Implications
Why Pakistan is rattled over Chenab–Beas tunnel and its link to the Indus Waters Treaty
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Pakistan is alarmed by India's Chenab–Beas tunnel project, claiming it threatens its economy and violates the Indus Waters Treaty. The project aims to divert water from the Chenab River to the Beas River, raising concerns about water security and environmental risks in the Himalayan region.
- 01The Chenab–Beas tunnel project, estimated at ₹2,532 crore, will divert water from the Chenab River to the Beas River in Himachal Pradesh.
- 02Pakistan's Foreign Ministry asserts the project violates the Indus Waters Treaty, which governs water sharing between India and Pakistan.
- 03India plans to generate 4,000 MW of hydropower from this project, with work expected to start on August 1, 2026, and completion aimed by July 31, 2029.
- 04Environmental experts warn that the project is in a disaster-prone region, susceptible to climate-induced risks like glacial lake outburst floods.
- 05The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960, allocates the eastern rivers to India and the western rivers, including the Chenab, to Pakistan.
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The Chenab–Beas tunnel project, currently under development in Himachal Pradesh, India, has raised significant concerns in Pakistan, which claims it poses serious threats to its economy and violates the Indus Waters Treaty. This infrastructure initiative, estimated to cost ₹2,532 crore, aims to construct an 8.7-kilometre tunnel to divert water from the Chenab River to the Beas River, with the potential to generate 4,000 MW of hydropower. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry has criticized the project, asserting that it could transfer 1.9 million acre-feet of water from the Chenab, constituting a grave violation of the treaty established in 1960. The treaty allocates the eastern rivers to India and the western rivers to Pakistan, granting India limited rights for non-consumptive use. Additionally, environmental experts have voiced concerns about the project's location in a region prone to climate disasters, including landslides and glacial lake outburst floods, emphasizing the need for caution. As of now, the treaty remains suspended following tensions from the Pahalgam terror attack.
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The project could significantly affect Pakistan's water security and economy, raising concerns over water availability.
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