Assam Expresses Alarm Over China's Hydropower Project on Yarlung Tsangpo River

GUWAHATI: Serious concerns have been raised by the Assam government over China's plan to sanction the construction of a major hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River, known as Brahmaputra in India. The dam, which will be capable of producing an unprecedented 60,000 MW of electricity, will be a huge threat to the fragile ecosystems along the Yarlung Tsangpo.

On Wednesday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma drew attention to possible negative impacts that the dam might have on the river's natural flow during a press conference. He said this project would interrupt the environment and make the Brahmaputra depend greatly on the rains from Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan. Such dependency, he warned, would bring the water level down drastically.

The Chief Minister said that the Indian government has already conveyed its apprehensions to Chinese authorities, while pointing out that it is the river's natural flow that would be of extreme importance. "The Brahmaputra's ecosystem will face extreme vulnerability if the dam becomes operational," CM Sarma stated.

Sarma said that his counterpart in Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu, has also raised the issue before the central government. It is likely to be a prime focus of diplomatic talks between India and China.

The dam is to be constructed in a deep gorge in eastern Tibet, which has long been of considerable interest to environmentalists and policymakers. The major concerns are regarding the interference the project may cause in water availability, changes in flow patterns, and an upset ecological balance of the region.

The development points out the need for international cooperation and dialogue in the face of the environmental impacts that such mega projects bring.

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