BIG INDUS RIVER GIFT TO NORTH INDIA AHEAD OF 2029 LOK SABHA POLLS
NEW DELHI: India is gearing up to make massive changes to the Indus River system to meet the water demands of the northern states. In a strategic move after suspending the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan, the government is now trying to ensure that the project is ready ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
During a review meeting by senior ministers last Friday, it was stated that a detailed project report (DPR) is already being prepared to construct a 14-km tunnel that would connect the Indus River with the Beas River, both part of the Indus system, according to people privy to the developments.
Multinational construction firm L&T has been tasked with preparing the project report. It is expected to be ready by next year.
The work on the proposed 113-km canal that would deliver the Indus water to the northern states was also reviewed at the meeting, sources added.
The Indus Water Treaty was a landmark water-sharing deal signed in 1960 between India and Pakistan following an intervention by the World Bank. India suspended the treaty in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, with the government asserting that “water and blood can’t flow together”.
The government had since been working on a detailed plan to utilize India’s share of the Indus water. To make this a reality, an ambitious project has been conceived under the Inter-Basin Indus Water Transfer Scheme and is being monitored at the highest levels of the government.
The most challenging part of this project is the construction of the 14-km tunnel, say sources. Such a tunnel would require a detailed study of the mountain rocks, and in case of weaker rocks, the tunnel will be laid through pipes. Its construction will begin after the government receives the DPR report.
The use of tunnel boring machines and rock shield technology has been proposed to ensure speed and safety. The tunnel would also be connected to the Ujh Multipurpose Project in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir to enable water transfer from the Ujh River, a tributary of the Ravi, to the Beas Basin.
The completion of this tunnel will connect the Ravi-Beas-Sutlej system to the Indus Basin, enabling India to maximize the utility of its share of water. Sources estimate that its construction will take three to four years and be ready by 2028. The estimated cost is around Rs 4,000-5,000 crore.
