India has consistently conveyed its views and concerns to China on developments over the Brahmaputra river and urged the neighbouring country to ensure that the interests of the downstream states are not harmed by any activities in the upstream areas, the government has informed a parliamentary panel.
The Centre carefully monitors all developments on the Brahmaputra, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has told the Standing Committee on Water Resources.
The panel tabled its report before the Lok Sabha on Thursday. “The Chinese side has conveyed to us on several occasions that they are only undertaking run-of-the-river hydropower projects, which do not involve diversion of the waters of the Brahmaputra,” the MEA has told the panel.
In a written response to a question by the panel on whether China has any proposal to build dams on the Brahmaputra, the MEA said the “Outline of the 12th Five Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People’s Republic of China” endorsed in March 2011 indicated that three hydropower projects on the main stream of the river in the Tibet Autonomous Region were approved for implementation by the Chinese authorities. A hydropower project at Zangmu was declared fully operational by China in October 2015.
“The government carefully monitors all developments on the Brahmaputra river. “As a lower riparian State with considerable established user rights to the waters of the trans-border rivers, the government has consistently conveyed its views and concerns to the Chinese authorities and has urged them to ensure that the interests of downstream states are not harmed by any activities in upstream areas,” the MEA told the panel.
Various issues relating to trans-border rivers are discussed with China under the ambit of an institutionalised expert-level mechanism, which was established in 2006, as well as through diplomatic channels. “We intend to remain engaged with China on the issue of trans-border rivers to safeguard our interests,” the MEA said.
The mighty Brahmaputra, one of the longest rivers in the world, flows through China, India and Bangladesh, and has several tributaries and sub-tributaries. The Yarlung Zangbo river originates in Tibet. It is known as Siang when it enters India through Arunachal Pradesh. It is further joined by several tributaries to take the shape of Brahmaputra.
There are concerns on the Indian side over China damming the Brahmaputra, which is a critical source of water to the northeast and also Bangladesh. In November last year, Yan Zhiyong, chairman of the Power Construction Corporation of China, said the neighbouring country will “implement hydropower exploitation in the downstream of the Yarlung Zangbo river” (the Tibetan name for Brahmaputra) and the project could serve to maintain water resources and domestic security.
On the sharing of hydrological data by China for the Brahmaputra and Sutlej rivers, the Jal Shakti Ministry told the committee that except for 2017, data is being supplied by the Chinese side for both rivers in accordance with the MoUs signed between the two countries. The gap in the supply of data in 2017 also coincided with the 73-day Doklam stand-off between the two neighbours that took place during the peak monsoon period.
Hydrological data (water level, rainfall and discharge) of the Brahmaputra for the three stations in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) — Nugesha, Yangcun and Nuxia — was supplied regularly from May 15 to October 15 in 2020, twice a day (0800 hours and 2000 hours Chinese time). Similarly, hydrological data of the Sutlej for the lone station in TAR — Tsada — was supplied regularly from June 1 to October 15 in 2020, twice a day (0800 hours and 2000 hours Chinese Time), the panel was told.
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