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India flags concern over China’s mega dam plan
India expressed concern over China's mega dam on the Brahmaputra and new counties in Ladakh, urging transparency and consultations with downstream nations.
New Delhi India on Friday flagged its concern about China’s plan to build a mega dam on the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra river and the creation of two counties in an illegally occupied section of Ladakh, with the external affairs ministry saying these matters have been formally taken up with Beijing.
The strong reaction from New Delhi came a little more than two months after the two countries reached an understanding in October on disengagement of front line forces at the two remaining “friction points” Demchok and Depsang on the Line of Actual Control (LAC). This was followed by a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping, at which the two sides decided to revive several mechanisms to normalise bilateral relations.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal referred to a report by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency on December 25 about the plan to build a hydropower project on Yarlung Tsangpo river in the Tibet Autonomous Region, and said the matter was taken up with Beijing to emphasise the need for consultations with downstream countries.
He said, “As a lower riparian state with established user rights to the waters of the river, we have consistently expressed, through expert-level as well as diplomatic channels, our views and concerns to the Chinese side over mega projects on rivers in their territory.”
India’s concerns were reiterated following the latest report, “along with need for transparency and consultation with downstream countries”, Jaiswal said. “The Chinese side has been urged to ensure that the interests of downstream states of the Brahmaputra are not harmed by activities in upstream areas,” he added.
Jaiswal said the Indian side will continue to monitor the situation and “take necessary measures to protect our interests”.
Last month, China approved the construction of what will be the world’s biggest hydropower dam on the eastern rim of the ecologically fragile Tibetan plateau, triggering concerns about environmental impacts that could affect millions downstream in India and Bangladesh.
The $137 billion dam, to be located on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo, could produce 300 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually, according to an estimate from the Power Construction Corp of China. This would be three times more energy than that produced by China’s Three Gorges Dam, currently the world’s largest with an installed capacity of 88.2 billion kWh.
The Yarlung Tsangpo becomes the Siang when it enters India’s Arunachal Pradesh state, and then the Brahmaputra in Assam before flowing into Bangladesh.
China has sought to play down apprehensions about the project, with foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning saying last week that the dam “will not negatively affect the lower reaches”.
Jaiswal also referred to China’s announcement about the establishment of two new counties in Hotan prefecture and said a protest had been lodged with Beijing over the issue. “Parts of the jurisdiction of these so-called counties fall in India’s union territory of Ladakh,” he said.
“We have never accepted the illegal Chinese occupation of Indian territory in this area. Creation of new counties will neither have a bearing on India’s long-standing and consistent position regarding our sovereignty over the area nor lend legitimacy to China’s illegal and forcible occupation of the same,” Jaiswal said. “We have lodged a solemn protest with the Chinese side through diplomatic channels.”
China’s announcement on the two counties came a little more than two weeks after the Special Representatives of the two sides resumed boundary talks that were stalled for almost five years. The talks followed the end of the four-and-a-half year military standoff on the LAC. The Special Representatives agreed on boosting cross-border cooperation, including sharing of data on trans-border rivers.
People familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity said India had taken up both matters strongly with the Chinese side to emphasise its sensitivities. They pointed out that the normalisation of ties remained a work in progress and China will have to keep in mind the Indian side’s concerns on such crucial issues.
