India is accelerating its dam program in the northeastern border country of Arunachal Pradesh to mitigate the impact of the large superstars planned to be built in Tibet.
According to four sources familiar with the matter, New Delhi is worried that Chinese dams will reduce water flow by as much as 85% during the dry season.
The Indian government has Projects considered since the early 2000s To control the flow of the Angsi glacier from Tibet, the glacier has more than 100 million people in the lower reaches of China, India and Bangladesh. However, these plans are hampered by fierce and occasional violent resistance from residents of Arunachal Pradesh, who fear that their villages will be submerged and destroyed by any dam.
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Then, in December, China announced that it would build the largest hydropower dam in the border county before the Yarlung Zangbo River crossed India. This has raised concerns in New Delhi that its long-term strategic rival – some territorial claims have been made in Arunachal Pradesh – could weaponize its control over the river, which originated from the Angsi Glacier and is known as Siang and Brahmaputra.
India’s largest hydropower company moved investigation materials to armed police protection in May, and nearby is a potential location for the Xi’ange multifunctional storage dam, which will be the largest in the country.
Senior Indian officials have also been holding meetings on accelerated construction, including a meeting held in July by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office, according to two sources.
Delhi’s concerns were described in an undated government analysis of the impact of Chinese dams, with details confirmed by Reuters using four sources and reported for the first time.
China’s dams see a lot of water flow
Beijing has not released a detailed plan for the construction of the dam, but the analysis has caused past work such as the Indian government affiliates, such as the Central Water Commission, and accounted for the expected size of the Chinese project, which went bankrupt in July and would cost nearly $170 billion.
According to sources and documents, Delhi estimates that the Chinese dam will allow Beijing to transfer up to 40 billion cubic meters (BCM) of water, or more than one-third of what it receives annually at key border points, according to sources and documents. In the non-monsoon months, the impact is especially dramatic when temperatures rise and lands throughout India become barren.
The Siang upper project will reduce its estimated storage capacity of 14 BCM, allowing India to release water during the dry season. According to sources and documents, this could mean that Guwahati, a major regional city that relies on water-intensive industries and agriculture, will see a 11% reduction in supply, or 25% if Indian dams are not built.
Sources say the project could also mitigate any moves in Beijing to release a devastating torrent in the downstream.
According to the documents and sources, if the dam is at the lowest water level (the height of the water is less than 50% of its height, it will be able to fully absorb the excess water released from loopholes in China’s infrastructure. India is considering a proposal to emptiate 30% of its dam at any time to resolve the unexpected tide, two sources said.
China says it’s responsible
A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that in response to Reuters’ questions, the hydropower project “has conducted rigorous scientific research on safety and environmental protection and would not have adverse effects on water resources, ecology or geology in downstream countries.”
The spokesperson added: “China has always maintained a responsible attitude towards the development and utilization of cross-border rivers and has maintained long-term communication and cooperation with downstream countries such as India and Bangladesh.”
Modi’s office and various Indian departments responsible for water and external affairs did not respond to Reuters’ questions. The state-owned hydropower specialist NHPC also did not return a request for comment.
The Indian Foreign Ministry said senior diplomat S Jaishankar raised concerns about the dam at a meeting with his Chinese counterpart on August 18. Jaishankar deputy told lawmakers in August that the government is taking measures to safeguard and maintain the lives and livelihoods of citizens in downstream areas, including building the ship on the ship.
India itself is accused by Pakistan, a Chinese ally who carried out weapons and weapons in May. Delhi suspended participation in a 1960 water sharing treaty with Islamabad this year and is considering moving from another critical river to downstream neighbors.
The International Tribunal ruled that India must comply with the agreement, but Delhi said the panel lacked jurisdiction.
Villagers vow to fight Indian dams
In May, while NHPC workers moved measurement materials near Parong village, angry locals damaged their machines, destroyed nearby bridges and plundered tents sent by police to protect the operation.
Many of them are members of the Adi Community in Arunachal, living in Paddy, Orange and Sweet Lime Farms, which are shrouded in the hills of the mountains, nourished by Siang.
Villagers have already established temporary watches on regional roads to deny contact with NHPC workers. This forced security personnel to hike frequently under cover at night to reach potential locations of the dam.
According to two sources, at least 16 ADI villages could be lost in the storage area of the dam, affecting about 10,000 people directly. Community leaders say more than 100,000 people will be affected overall.
“The cardamom, rice fields, jackfruit and pears we grow on this land help educate our children and feed our families,” said Odoni Palo Pabin. “We will die with the dam.”
The dam was supported by Chief Minister Arunachal, a member of the Modi Party and called the Chinese project an existential threat.
Talk about relocation compensation
The state government said in a statement that the project will “ensure water safety and provide flood regulation to deal with any potential water surfing,” adding that the project decided in June to have a detailed compensation discussion with families who may be affected by the dam.
ADI MP Alo Libang, who represents the area where the Indian project will flood, said he believes that locals can be persuaded to move if they receive generous compensation.
The NHPC plans to spend more than $3 million on education and emergency infrastructure to inspire villagers to move elsewhere, three sources said, citing instructions from Modi’s office.
According to the Arunachal government and dozens of locals, three villages in the region recently agreed to have NHPC officials perform dam-related work.
India has a history of radical movements against large dams, which sometimes slow down these projects over the years or force them to scale up.
Even if Upper Xi’ange Dam is operational, it may take ten years to build after the rupture, according to four sources. This means the project may be completed ahead of China’s project, which Beijing expects to start generating electricity in the early or mid-2030s.
The delay means that during construction, if Beijing suddenly releases water during the monsoon season, triggering a surge in temporary dams that could eliminate, two sources said, India’s projects would be vulnerable.
International experts and ADI activists also warn that building large dams in earthquake-active Tibet and Arunachal could increase the risk of downstream communities.
“The dam is being built in highly seismic areas and in areas where extreme weather events occur,” said Sayanangshu Modak, an expert on water relations at the University of Arizona India-China.
“This type of extreme weather event triggered landslides, mudslides, glacial lake flooding,” he said. “So, this has attracted attention to dam safety … It is a very reasonable question that India should interact with China.”
- Jim Pollard’s additional editor Reuters
See also:
Thailand plans dam to clean toxic runoff from Myanmar gold mine
China’s emptying dams as a crack found after the Tibet earthquake
Neighbors worry about China’s huge dam in Tibet
The world’s second largest hydropower plant began in China – Yicai
China plans huge water projects to fight drought, floods
China plans to transport water to Beijing through Magnetic MK tunnel – SCMP
China uses 3D printing to build Tibet dams – SCMP
Three Canyon power plants sold to China’s Changjiang for $12 billion
China’s Bramaputra Dam plan could also enable India to build a
China boosts GDP with US$14.2 billion water project
