China Mega Dam On Brahmaputra

India has said that it has taken up the issue of the construction of a mega dam on the Brahmaputra in Tibet with China (see previous Blue News here).

India on Friday responded cautiously yet firmly to China’s unveiling of a major hydropower project on the Yarlung Zangbo River, known as the Brahmaputra in India, asserting its established rights to the river’s waters as a downstream nation and taking up the interests of other lower riparian states as well.

The Ministry of External Affairs reiterated longstanding concerns about the impact of such projects on the Brahmaputra River, calling for Beijing to adopt transparent practices and consult with affected countries.

“As a lower riparian state, we have established rights to the use of the waters of the river,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during his regular media briefing here. “We have consistently expressed through expert level as well as diplomatic channels our views and concerns to the Chinese side on mega projects in their territory.”

In the wake of the reports of China’s decision to construct the dam, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma raised concerns saying the project will make the entire ecosystem fragile and dry. He also said the dam will make Assam dependent on rainwater from Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan. Sarma said the Indian government has already communicated its concern to the Chinese side. During a press conference in Guwahati earlier this week, he said:

“I am sure that in the dialogue process, which is presently going on between India and China, this will be raised by the Indian side. We have already communicated that if this dam comes then the Brahmaputra ecosystem will become fragile and dry and then we will depend on the rainwater from Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan.”

Source and full story on etvbharat

Update: Jan 3 (Reuters) – U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan’s visit to New Delhi from Jan. 5-6 is expected to include discussions with Indian counterparts about the impact of Chinese dams, a senior U.S. official said late on Friday. Read here.

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