Anurag Thakur Hails Rs 2,352 Cr Chenab-Beas Tunnel for Himachal
Synopsis
BJP MP Anurag Thakur has welcomed PM Modi's approval of the Rs 2,352 crore Chenab-Beas Link Tunnel in Himachal Pradesh's Lahaul-Spiti, which proposes an 8.7-km tunnel to divert Chenab basin water into the Beas system, potentially adding 4,000 MW of hydropower capacity to North India.
Key Takeaways
BJP MP Anurag Thakur publicly welcomed the central government's approval of the Chenab-Beas Link Tunnel Project on 25 May 2026 .
The project carries an estimated cost of Rs 2,352 crore and is located in Lahaul-Spiti district , Himachal Pradesh.
A proposed 8.7-kilometre tunnel would divert surplus water from the Chandra river (Chenab tributary) into the Beas river basin .
The project is stated to support an additional 4,000 megawatts of hydropower generation capacity in Himachal Pradesh.
Thakur linked the project to the backdrop of Operation Sindoor and the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan.
Environmental impact assessments and local consultations in Lahaul-Spiti remain ahead before implementation can begin.
BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Monday, 25 May 2026 welcomed the approval of the Chenab-Beas Link Tunnel Project in Himachal Pradesh, calling it a moment of pride and describing the Rs 2,352 crore initiative as a step toward India's self-reliance and a boon for the entire northern region.
Context
Thakur, the Lok Sabha MP from Hamirpur and former Union Minister, posted in Hindi on X, stating that the project approved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi would benefit not only Himachal Pradesh but all of North India. He described the move, coming after Operation Sindoor and the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, as rubbing salt in Pakistan's wounds — 'unke jale par namak jaisa' [like salt on their wounds].
The project is located in the remote Himalayan district of Lahaul-Spiti, a region with significant untapped hydropower potential and strategic importance given its proximity to international borders.
Policy Backdrop
The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, divided the Indus river system between India and Pakistan. Under the treaty, the Beas and Sutlej rivers were allocated entirely to India, while the Chenab — a western river — was allocated primarily to Pakistan, with limited rights for India to use its waters for run-of-river hydropower and irrigation.
India has for years sought to maximise use of its allocated share through diversion and storage infrastructure. Successive governments have accelerated hydropower development in Himalayan states both to meet renewable energy targets and to assert fuller utilisation of treaty entitlements. The framing of such water infrastructure in national-security terms has become more pronounced following bilateral tensions with Pakistan.
About the Project
According to Thakur's post, the project envisages an 8.7-kilometre tunnel that will divert surplus water from the Chenab basin — specifically from the Chandra river, a tributary of the Chenab — into the Beas river system through hydraulic structures and tunnels. He stated the diversion is projected to enable an additional 4,000 megawatts of power generation capacity in Himachal Pradesh.
The Beas basin already hosts major hydropower installations, and additional water inflows from the Chenab basin are expected to enhance the generation potential of existing and planned projects downstream. Residents of Lahaul-Spiti, farmers in the Beas basin, and hydropower developers across North India are among the primary stakeholders.
What's Next
The project will require detailed environmental impact assessments and local consultations in Lahaul-Spiti, a high-altitude district with fragile ecology. Parliamentary scrutiny of funding timelines and implementation schedules is expected as the proposal moves through approvals.
If executed as described, the Chenab-Beas link would represent one of the larger inter-basin water transfer projects in the western Himalayas, with implications for river-flow management, hydropower output, and India's long-term posture on the utilisation of Indus-system waters.
Point of View
As framed by Thakur, sits at the intersection of energy policy, water security, and strategic signalling toward Pakistan — a combination that has become a recurring motif in BJP's infrastructure messaging. By invoking Operation Sindoor and the Indus Waters Treaty suspension in the same breath as a hydropower project, the party is deliberately embedding development announcements within a national-security narrative. For Himachal Pradesh, a state heavily dependent on hydropower revenues and perennially negotiating its share of central infrastructure investment, a Rs 2,352 crore commitment in a remote district like Lahaul-Spiti carries both economic and electoral weight. The project also fits a broader pattern of accelerating inter-basin water transfers in the Himalayas as India seeks to maximise utilisation of its treaty-allocated river waters.
NationPress
17 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Chenab-Beas Link Tunnel Project?
The Chenab-Beas Link Tunnel Project is a proposed Rs 2,352 crore infrastructure initiative in Lahaul-Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, that would build an 8.7-kilometre tunnel to divert surplus water from the Chenab basin — via the Chandra river — into the Beas river system to boost hydropower generation.
How much additional power will the Chenab-Beas tunnel generate?
According to BJP MP Anurag Thakur's post, the project is expected to support an additional 4,000 megawatts of hydropower generation capacity in Himachal Pradesh by increasing water availability in the Beas basin.
What is the connection between this project and the Indus Waters Treaty?
The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 allocates the Beas river entirely to India but gives Pakistan primary rights over the Chenab. India has long sought to maximise use of its allocated share; Thakur explicitly linked this approval to the reported suspension of the treaty following heightened tensions with Pakistan.
Where exactly is the Chenab-Beas tunnel project located?
The project is located in Lahaul-Spiti, a remote high-altitude district in Himachal Pradesh, where the Chandra river — a major tributary of the Chenab — originates near the Rohtang Pass area.
What are the next steps for the Chenab-Beas Link Tunnel Project?
The project will need to clear environmental impact assessments and local consultations in the ecologically sensitive Lahaul-Spiti region, followed by parliamentary scrutiny of funding disbursements and detailed implementation timelines.
