The friendly and cooperative relations between China and India during 2012 have been strained recently due to the construction of new hydroelectric plants on a waterway, that is shared by the neighboring countries. China has been planning to build three new hydro power plant projects on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, which converts into the Brahmaputra from where it flows to India. Therefore, India is constantly trying to pressurize the Chinese Government to respect its river rights. A foreign ministry spokesperson Syed Akbar-ud-din expressed, “India urges China to guarantee that the interests of downstream countries are not damaged by any events in upstream regions.”
While the plans are supposed to be “run-of-the river”, which means that they do not need large storage reservoirs or leads to any key interruption to the flow, any new construction would frighten New Delhi. The 2900 kilometers long water system originates from the Himalayas and after passing through india North Eastern part ends into the river Ganges. On its way from China to India, it supplies water to millions of farmers and local residents. Therefore, India remains anxious about the hazard of its massive northern neighbor, China, diverting or distracting rivers that instigate in Tibet. China began constructing a run-of-the-river dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo in 2010 that is agreed to have six 85-megawatt power-generating parts intended at shortening power deficiencies in Tibet, according to Chinese reports.
There is a need of serious talks between the two governments upon this issue so that the interests of both the states can be fulfilled. The Chinese government claims that it has always shown a positive attitude towards the better development and consumption of cross-border water systems in the past, similarly this new project has been planned with scientific planning and with careful consideration of the interests of both the upstream and the downstream countries and will surely not harm the Indian part of the river.
Moreover, apart from the Indian reaction on the construction of new hydroelectric plants, there have been serious concerns raised from within the Chinese community that the construction of these new plants may be damaging for the Chinese environmental and ecosystem. Scientists have warned that the construction of these new dams could be quite dangerous and may increase the risks of landslides, mudslides and earthquakes in the nearby region. Similarly, the critics of the project fear that it might displace almost 40,000 people destroy almost 20 miles of cultivated land and can also endanger some fish species and other “living fossil” present in the waters.
Due to so many issues with the development plan of the Chinese government, the building of hydroelectric dams must be carefully and scientifically monitored, and it must be made sure that it does not destroy any of the living species in the nearby region, nor does it affect the interests of downstream states including India, to avoid any unnecessary clashes in the future and make the plan a successful one.
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