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Topic: China’s First Downstream Dam on Brahamaputra

Why in News?

• A draft of China’s new Five-Year Plan (2021- 2025), which is set to be formally approved on March 11, has given the green light for the first dams to be built on the lower reaches of YarlungZangbo river, as the Brahmaputra is known in Tibet, before it flows into India.

Introduction

• The draft calls for “building a hydropower base on the lower reaches of YarlungZangbo River”, along with “clean energy bases” in the upper and lower reaches of Jinsha River (the upper course of Yangtze River in western China).
• The project is also listed along with the Sichuan-Tibet railway and the national water network.
• Other major projects include the construction of coastal nuclear power plants and power transmission channels. It is also mentioned that significant planned investments in infrastructure will serve major national strategies.

Concerns

• Degradation of Basin: Blocking of slits and water would impact natural fertility. It will harm the agricultural production in downstream States.
• Security Concerns: China has plan to link its south and north zone of area through canals, aqueducts and linking of major rivers to ensure water security. Development near the border area of the country can have negative impacts as well-established link connectivity from mainland will provide easy and fast movement of resources
• Extremist Activities of China: China, being an upper riparian state in Asia, has been blocking rivers like the Mekong and its tributaries, affecting Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Even 2019 drought in South East Asia is considered to be caused by China. Despite the above average rainfall in Yunnan province, severe lack of water was found in lower Mekong.

• In the similar fashion, India has its deeply rooted concerns too for Brahmaputra.

• Eco-Logical Concerns: It will alter the river ways, which will have impact on flora and fauna as Indo-Gangetic River Dolphins. Dam Constructions can have seismological impact in Himalayan region. It will also impact the local populations and peoples dependent on downstream as of Bangladesh and India.

India’s Concern

• In 2015, China operationalised its first hydropower project at Zangmu, while three other dams at Dagu, Jiexu and Jiacha are being developed, all on the upper and middle reaches of the river.
• India has long expressed concerns over dam-building on the Brahmaptura. China has blocked a tributary of the Brahmaputra as part of a major hydro-electric project, whose construction began in 2014.
• However, Indian officials have said the dams are not likely to greatly impact the quantity of the Brahmaputra’s flows in India because they are only storing water for power generation, and the Brahmaputra is not entirely dependent on upstream flows with an estimated 35% of its basin in India.

• Dams on the lower reach and at the Great Bend would, however, raise fresh concerns because of the location across the border from Arunachal Pradesh and the potential impact downstream.

About Brahmaputra River

• The Brahmaputra called YarlungTsangpo in Tibet, Siang/Dihang River in Arunachal Pradesh and Luit, Dilao in Assam, is a transboundary river which flows through Tibet, India and Bangladesh.
• Its origin in the Manasarovar Lake region, near the Mount Kailash, located on the northern side of the Himalayas in Burang County of Tibet.
• Important tributaries of Brahmaputra in Indian territory are Subansiri, Kameng, Dhansiri, Buri-Dihing, Kopili, Manas, Sankosh, Jaldhaka, Torsa and Teesta.