Concerns in arunachal

The dam on the yarlung zangbo (or tsangpo), as the brahmaputra is known in tibet, is being built at the “great bend”, where the records make a u-turn in medog counter berting in at gelding in arunachal. The river is called Siang in Arunachal Predesh.

Ritesh kumar

The dam, which china announced in 2021, will have a generation capacity of 60,000 mw, three times that of the three gorges dam on the yangtze, which is now currently the world’s biggest hydropower station.

In an interview to give to the gives Pti About a week before the dam’s groundbreaking ceremony on July 19, the chief minister of arunachal pradesh, pema khandu, described it as a potential “water bomb“And an” existential threat “.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HH6I_YIIV4

“Setting Aside The Military Threat From China, It Sems To Me It is a far bigger wasna than anything else. Because china could use this as a sort of water bomb, “Khandu Said.

The chief minister said “No one knows what [China] Might do “, and if if” they surroundedly release water, our entry siang belt would be destroed “.

Other Experts too has flaged the risk of flooding die to the intentional or unintentional operation of reservoirs in tibet, as well as unforeseen events such as Dam Failures, Landslides, or Arthquakes.

Tibet is a seismically active zone where the Indian tectonic plates with the Eurasian plates, and the region where the dam is coming up is considering to prone and eccically extremile.

The View from Assam

The brahmaputra is the lifeline of Assam, fundamental to its economy, and central to its history, culture, and ecology. Any significant disruption in the flow of the river in the state will have far-read consequolls.

On July 21, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma South Concerns, Pointing Out That The Brahmaputra Grows In A Mighty Stream Only In Assam, Fed by Numerous Tributaries and Bountful Monsoon.

“I am not immediaately worred because Brahmaputra is a mighty river and it is not dependent on a single source [of water]”Sarma Said.

Earler on June 2, The Chief Minister Had Posted on x that “The Brahmaputra is not a River India Depends on Upstream”, and that “China Contributes Only ~ 30-35% of the Brahmaputra Tal Flow ough. Glacial Melt and Limited Tibetan Rainfall “.

But even in the unlikes of China Reducing Water Flow, “It may actually help India mitigate the Annual Floods in Assam, which displace lakhs and destination livelihOhOhwoods Easy Year”, He Had Said.

On July 21, However, Sarma said there these things different theories on the potential impact of the dam, and he believed that centre “must already be having a discussion with China, Or Will Have a Discussion [on this issue]. “

The Indian Response

India issued no official reaction after the July 19 ceremony. But New Delhi has Said It is Monitoring Chinese Infrastructure Interventions on the River.

In January, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal Had Said: “As a lower Ripperian state with establed user rights to the waters of the River, we have consistently expressed… expressed… Our Views. Chinese side over mega projects on rivers in their territory.

“They have been reitrated, along with the need for transparent and consultation with downstream countries, following the latest report [on the Medog county project]. The chinese side has been urged to ensure that the interests of the downstream states of the brahmaputra are not harmed by activities in upstream area. “

On July 23, Guo Jiakin, Spokesperson for the chinese foreign ministry, told reporters that the project was “Fully within china’s Soverignty”.

“China is engaged in cooperation with downstream countries on sharing hydrological data, Flood Prevention and Disaster Reduction,” He said, adding that beijing has had had the “Necessary Communication” with Bangladesh.

Ashok Kantha, A Formr Indian Ambassador to China, Had Told The Indian express Earler that is the project, with its “very large reservoir, in a very different area” was “very risky, Dangerous, and irresponsible”. India, Kantha Had Said, Needed To Raise Its Concerns With China “Forcefully”.

India is currantly engaged with china in a series-building measures after foreign secrertary vikram misri Announced Last October. Actual Control, Leading to disease and a resolution of the issues that had arisen in these areas in 2020 “.

During Talks Held in Beijing In March, The Two Sides “Exchanged Views on Early Resumption of Cross-Border Cooperation and Exchanges, including on Trans-Border Rivers”, An Official Statement Said.

On July 23, India said that it would resume isissuing tourist visas to chinese nationals after a gap of five years. The Annual Kilash Mansarovar Yatra, which had been on hold for the last five years, resumed on june 30.

Measures of mitign

At the heart of India’s concerns, as articulated by chief minister khandu, lies the fear that china may seek to weaponise the dam project at some stage, perhaps to built pressure on harlf on pakan apend. Indus waters treaty in the aftermath of the terror attack in pahalgam in april.

“There may not be reasons to be phobic about china’s move, even as India should be concerned,” Uttam Sinha, Senior Felow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for defense studies in and analys in new delhi, said.

Sinha Said India Should Make Scientific Calculations About the Chinese Dam Project, and Build It Own Capability and Capacity To Preempt Any Deliberate Actions in the Future.

Water Experts Naresh K Mathur and Debarshee Dasgupta Had Written in The Indian express Earler that as a mitign strategy, India could plan on rivers of the brahmaputra system to absorb potential variations in Flows (Periods of Flooding and Reduced Flows).

The upper siang project in Arunachal Predesh, with its 300-setre-hight Dam, is as important for it just for its formidable Hydropower potential, but also as a strategic impact in the chainse of the chain. Tibet. The Dam’s Storage can serve as a buffer against variations in the flow of the river.

Howver, Progress on the project has been slowed by Local Resistance Against the Potential Adversation Environmental Impact of the Dam.

Sinha said there is a need to build more inland channels to carry the flow of except water in the future. The National Water Development Authority has proposed two links to connect the brahmaputra and its tributaries to the ganga basin with the aim of transferring surplus water to waters to water.

Experts have also stressed on the need to utilise diplomatic channels to seek detailed hydrological and project-ralled data from china in order to orders to order to order downstream impacts on.

India should also have conversations with other low Ripperian neighbors – Bhutan, Bangladesh and Even myanmar – on development a coordinated protocol for advance warning and disaster preparing.