BEIJING, July 23: China has defended the construction of a dam over the Brahmaputra river in the ecologically sensitive Tibet region, stating that the project will not have any negative impact on downstream regions. The dam is expected to generate more than 300 billion kWh of electricity each year, enough to meet the annual needs of over 300 million people. Concerns have been raised in India over the potential environmental impact of the dam, with Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu calling it a ticking “water bomb” and an existential threat.
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that the development of the project in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River is a matter of China’s sovereignty. He stated that the project was aimed at building clean energy, improving local people’s lives, and in response to climate change. Guo also claimed that China strictly follows the highest industrial standards in protecting ecological environment in all-round ways in the planning, design, and construction of the hydro power projects in the lower reaches.
Critics point out that the dams in Brahmaputra present enormous engineering challenges as the project site is located along a tectonic plate boundary where earthquakes occur frequently. The Tibetan plateau, considered the roof of the world, periodically experiences earthquakes as it is located over the tectonic plates. India and China established the Expert Level Mechanism (ELM) in 2006 to discuss various issues related to trans-border rivers, under which China provides India with hydrological information on the Brahmaputra and Sutlej rivers during the flood seasons. However, the sharing of hydrological data between the two countries hit a roadblock following the eastern Ladakh border row.
Reports from Dhaka say that the Chinese envoy to Bangladesh Yao Wen has assured that its dam is solely for electricity generation and will not affect water flow to downstream countries. Yao conveyed the message during a meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain during their meeting on July 21. (PTI)
