Published 11:49 IST, January 21st 2021
China's alleged Brahmaputra hydropower plan to encroach India, Bangladesh's rights: Centre
India said China's attempt to construct a hydropower station on the Brahmaputra river will act as an encroachment on entitled rights of lower riparian states
The Government of India on Wednesday said China's attempt to construct a hydropower station on the Brahmaputra river will act as an encroachment on the entitled rights of lower riparian states like India and Bangladesh and would adversely affect the availability of water in its basin during the lean season.
The issue was discussed during a review meeting of the Central Water Commission (CWC), led by Rattan Lal Kataria, Minister of State in the Jal Shakti Ministry.
"Regarding the alleged plan of China to set up a super hydropower station at the Brahmaputra at Mekong, Tibet, the officials apprised that any attempt to divert the water of Brahmaputra river shall act as an encroachment on the entitled rights of lower riparian states like India, Bangladesh and adversely affect the availability of water in the Brahmaputra basin during the lean season," a statement by the ministry said.
"However, there are official platforms - like the Expert Level Mechanism set up between India and China in the year 2006 to discuss various issues related to trans-border rivers," the statement added.
In November, Yan Zhiyong, chairman of the Power Construction Corp of China, said the country will "implement hydropower exploitation in the downstream of the Yarlung Zangbo River" (the Tibetan name for Brahmaputra) and the project could serve to maintain water resources and domestic security.
India plans to build a reservoir in Arunachal
To offset the impact of the project, India too plans to build a multipurpose 10,000 MW reservoir in Arunachal Pradesh. The proposed 9.2 BCM "Upper Siang" project on the Siang river in Arunachal will take the excess load of water discharge and store it, to be used in case of a deficit.
Owing to the abundant rainfall in the northeast region, 90% of the Brahmaputra water comes through its tributaries in India, during the monsoon. During winters, 80% of the Siang river gets its water from the upper stretches, as glaciers become the main source.
During the discussion on flood forecasting and management, the officials also talked about the issue pertaining to flooding caused by the Brahmaputra river.
"The CWC officials apprised about the need for setting up a project at Upper Siang/Brahmaputra which shall be highly beneficial for the state of Assam," the statement added.
The mighty Brahmaputra, one of the longest rivers in the world, flows through China, India, and Bangladesh and has several tributaries and sub-tributaries.
Yarlung Zangbo, which originates in Tibet, takes the name Siang when it enters India through Arunachal Pradesh. It is further joined by several tributaries to flow into the Brahmaputra. As a lower riparian state with established rights to the waters of the trans-border rivers, the Indian government has consistently conveyed its concerns to the Chinese authorities and has urged them to ensure that the interests of downstream states are not affected by any activities in upstream areas.
Updated 11:49 IST, January 21st 2021