In a significant move following India’s decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan in abeyance in the aftermath of last year’s Pahalgam terror attack, the Centre has proposed two major infrastructure projects linked to the Chenab river system worth Rs 2,620 crore.The projects seek enhanced utilisation of the waters of the Indus system within the country. These include Rs 2,352-crore Chenab-Beas Link Tunnel in Himachal Pradesh and Rs 268-crore sediment bypass tunnel at Salal Dam in Jammu & Kashmir.The Tribune has learnt that the Chenab-Beas Link Tunnel Project is set to be placed for the Centre’s approval any time now. The project involves the construction of an 8.7-km-long tunnel that will divert surplus water from the Chenab basin into the Beas river system in Himachal, thus benefitting Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan.The water from Lahaul’s Chandra river, a tributary of the Chenab, will be channelled towards the Beas basin through hydraulic structures and tunnels, a move expected to help generate an additional 4,000 MW of electricity in Himachal.“The Chenab-Beas tunnel project is of great strategic importance to the country and northern states. This will prevent the surplus waters of the Indus systems to flow into Pakistan and divert this water to Himachal, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan,” former Himachal CM Jai Ram Thakur told The Tribune.Lok Sabha MP from Hamirpur Anurag Thakur described the project as “immensely beneficial for Himachal and the country”. “Under the Chenab-Beas tunnel project, there is also a proposal to build a 19-metre-high barrage in the Lahaul valley. The project will not just help generate more hydropower, but also expand better use of waters of rivers originating in India,” Anurag said.Referring to the government’s recent policy stance towards Pakistan, Thakur said that after Operation Sindoor and the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, the Centre’s decision was “like rubbing salt into Pakistan’s wounds.”