Munish Sood
Mandi
A strategic Himalayan infrastructure vision pursued for nearly a decade by former BJP state secretary and media incharge Praveen Kumar Sharma has finally translated into reality after the Government of India approved the ₹2,352 crore Chenab–Beas Link Tunnel Project in the tribal belt of Lahaul-Spiti Valley.
Speaking exclusively to News Radar, Praveen Kumar Sharma said the idea first emerged during his extensive political and organisational tours of Lahaul-Spiti nearly ten years ago, when he was assigned responsibility for the remote tribal region.
According to Sharma, repeated visits through the rugged Himalayan terrain helped him closely understand the geography, river systems and hydropower potential of the Chandra basin.
“I realised that if surplus water from the Chandra River could be diverted between Koksar and Chhatru towards the Beas basin, Himachal Pradesh could unlock enormous hydroelectric and strategic potential,” Sharma told News Radar.
The approved project now proposes exactly such a diversion through an 8.7-kilometre tunnel near Koskar village, close to the northern portal of the Atal Tunnel.
Sharma said he had calculated that the natural gradient in the terrain could provide nearly 700 metres of hydraulic head, allowing downstream hydropower projects to operate more efficiently throughout the year.
He claimed that from the very beginning, he viewed the proposal not merely as a power project, but as a long-term strategic and water-security initiative for northern India.
Reaching the Proposal to Delhi
In his conversation with News Radar, Sharma revealed that he persistently raised the issue with senior leaders and policymakers over the years.
He said he wrote detailed representations to the Prime Minister’s Office explaining the strategic, developmental and national-security significance of the proposal.
Sharma also stated that during political meetings and election campaigns, including during the Rajasthan Assembly elections, he personally discussed the project concept with senior BJP leadership and then Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
According to Sharma, he repeatedly argued that India needed to rethink its utilisation of western river waters originating from the Himalayas.
He maintained that merely allowing surplus waters to flow downstream under the constraints of the Indus Waters Treaty was against the long-term developmental interests of Himalayan states like Himachal Pradesh.
Renewed Momentum After Treaty Freeze
Sharma told News Radar that after the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, he intensified his efforts through policy articles and public outreach.
He argued that India’s real strategic advantage would come not only from constructing dams, but from actively diverting and optimising western river waters within Indian territory.
According to him, the recent approval of the Chenab–Beas project reflects a larger strategic shift in India’s Himalayan water policy.
Time-Bound Strategic Project
Sharma further stated that the Chenab–Beas Link Tunnel Project has been planned as a time-bound strategic infrastructure initiative and is expected to be completed within the next three years.
He said the completion of the project could open a new chapter for Himachal Pradesh by strengthening hydropower generation, improving long-term water management and accelerating infrastructure development in the tribal Himalayan region.
A Turning Point for Himachal Pradesh
Experts believe the project could become one of the most important Himalayan river-diversion initiatives undertaken in India in recent decades.
Apart from strengthening hydropower generation and water management, the initiative is expected to bring major infrastructure investment, employment opportunities and long-term economic benefits to Himachal Pradesh.
For supporters of Sharma, the approval also represents recognition of a regional vision that steadily evolved into a nationally significant strategic project.
With implementation now expected to move forward on priority, the Chenab–Beas Link Tunnel Project is increasingly being viewed as a transformative initiative that could redefine Himachal Pradesh’s role in India’s future energy, water and strategic infrastructure landscape.
