India's recently proposed Chenab-Beas Link Tunnel, which will be a Rs. 2,352 crore project designed to transfer excess water from the Chenab River to the Beas basin, has once again sparked debate across South Asia concerning the future of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). While Indian government sources claim that this project is a part of its strategy for effective water management and efficient use of its rivers' waters within its rights, sources in Pakistan have reported that there have been speculations about the implications of this project for downstream flows.
The Chenab-Beas Link Tunnel will involve a diversion of excess water from the Chenab River, one of the western rivers allocated under the terms of the Indus Water Treaty, into the Beas basin. This project is supposed to provide improvements in irrigation, increase the availability of water in water-scarce areas, as well as generate more hydro-power. This project involves the efficient utilization of excess flows which are currently not being utilized effectively.
The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, facilitated by the World Bank, has always been known to be one of the longest lasting water treaties in the world. In the treaty, India had the right over the use of the eastern rivers: Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej while Pakistan got the right over the western rivers: Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab. The treaty, however, allows for certain permissible uses by India of the western rivers, which includes hydroelectric power generation and certain storage provisions.
The proponents of Chenab-Beas Link Tunnel are of the view that the project is within the ambit of the rights provided by the treaty to India. It is seen that the diversion of surplus water for the permissible use is an attempt to make the best possible use of the available water in the face of the increasing demand due to agricultural and other needs of the country.
In Pakistan, however, the idea has revived the discussion on the meaning and execution of the Indus Waters Treaty. Policy makers and analysts have raised apprehensions that any change in the handling of the Chenab river may impact the water supply downstream, especially in agriculture seasons. All this takes place in the light of already existing tensions between the two nations due to water-related matters being used in diplomacy sometimes.
It is said that most of the disputes in the past were mostly related to technical meanings of the treaty rather than violations. There have been several hydroelectric plants on the western rivers by India which had been reviewed through the neutral experts or international arbiters according to the provisions of the treaty.
In this sense, the proposed tunnel also exemplifies the increasing problem of water management in the age of climate change. Unpredictable rainfall, retreating glaciers, and unpredictable flow of rivers put increasing strain on the traditional water-sharing agreements. In this respect, the construction of the infrastructure able to store, regulate and redistribute the water could be necessary for ensuring water security in the long run. It is also clear that the implementation of such infrastructure projects requires openness, scientific assessment, and consultations between the stakeholders to avoid misunderstandings.
For India, the Chenab-Beas Link Tunnel can be regarded as an ambitious step in improving water usage and developing the region. For Pakistan, the project gives rise to many questions concerning the implementation of the treaty and downstream consequences of it. Whether the Chenab-Beas Link Tunnel is going to become a source of tensions or an example of treaty-compliant development depends upon the technical assessment of the project and diplomacy.
In view of water stress in South Asia and uncertainties caused by the climate change, the Chenab-Beas Link Tunnel is another demonstration that the rivers are not only geographical but also economic and political links that unite people and countries.
Team Yuva Aaveg-
Adarsh Tiwari
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