‘China dams must not hurt India’s interests’

A concerned India on Thursday urged China to ensure that its interests as a “downstream state” are not harmed by the latter’s plans to build three more dams on the Brahmaputra river. Jayanth Jacob reports.

A concerned India on Thursday urged China to ensure that its interests as a “downstream state” are not harmed by the latter’s plans to build three more dams on the Brahmaputra river.

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The three new dams, proposed to be built in the middle reaches of the river, shows that China is reviving plans that have been put on hold for two years now.

India has consistently expressed its concerns to its neighbour in this regard, even taking the matter to the highest levels in the Chinese government.

“India urges China to ensure that the interests of downstream states are not harmed by any activities in upstream areas,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said.

He said that as a “lower riparian state with considerable established user rights to the waters of the river,” India has conveyed its views and concerns to the Chinese authorities.

At present, the only project China has on the river is a 510 MW dam at Zangmu in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

The document, which listed projects to be completed in China’s 12th Five Year Plan, referred to the three dams at Dagu and Jiexu.

The three projects were listed in the State Council’s energy plan for the Twelfth Five Year Plan period (2011-15), which was released on January 23.