China Plans to Build A Dam over Bhramhaputra, India Sends Reminder

Three Gorges Dam which slowed down the rotation of the earth by 0.06 milliseconds is now the second largest after China has planned to build a dam that is even larger than Three Gorges Dam. The dam built in China will be centrally located right on the bank of Tibet in the Himalayan zone. Moreover, the dam would also share a close space with the Indian Border.

As per sources, the area is quite fragile apart from being environmentally unfriendly. There are high seismic activities witnessed in the region ranging to much higher magnitude and can bring a catastrophic distinction to habitats and people living near the bordering country.

Ministry of Jal Skhakti criticized the project planned by China over its safety concerns. The Yarlung Tsnagpo dam is being protested by India as it poses a potential threat and can cause immense issues. The primary reason behind the protest is the fact that the development of the project is solely on the Brahmaputra River. India has sent a reminder to Beijing regarding the rights over the river and its transparency reports regarding the project.

The Ministry of External Affairs will be monitoring the development of the project. "We will continue to monitor and take necessary measures to protect our interests,” said Randhir Jaiswal. The project will have severe consequences on the floor and flow of the river. There can be droughts or severe floods which may affect 10 million people living in India.

In a press conference held in Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs claimed that Beijing asked: "to ensure that the interests of downstream states of the Brahmaputra are not harmed by activities in upstream areas".

As the concern is directly over the land of Arunachal and Assam, Jaiswal questions "As a lower riparian state with established user rights to the waters of the river, we have consistently expressed, through expert-level as well as diplomatic channels, our views and concerns to the Chinese side over mega projects on rivers in their territory." These have been reiterated, along with the need for transparency and consultation with downstream countries, following the latest report,"

The project is being planned to be made near the Eastern Tibetan Plateau near the Brahmaputra River. The project which is a part of their five-year plan is believed to generate around 300 billion kWh of electricity annually. The 137 billion dollar project is one of the richest and largest projects globally. Previously during the development of the Three Gorges Dam, 1.4 million people from the nearby lands were removed because of safety reasons. However, Beijing has not yet disclosed the number of people it would be moving from the nearby areas.