India worries over reports of China dams in Tibet

P. Jayaram, Straits Times 21 Oct 09;

NEW DELHI: The Indian government, in the face of widespread media reports here about Chinese plans to build dams along the Yarlung Zangbo river in Tibet, has said that this could have 'significant impact' on the people living downstream near the Brahmaputra.

The 2,906km-long Yarlung Zangbo and the Brahmaputra are one and the same river, with its first stretch of 1,625km flowing through Tibet, the next 918km in India and the remaining 363km through Bangladesh before it discharges into the Bay of Bengal.

External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash said that although Beijing had 'categorically denied' any such plans, the Indian government would 'ascertain whether there are recent developments that suggest any change in the position conveyed to us'.

Both countries set up an experts committee on trans-border rivers in November 2006 and agreed to establish a joint mechanism to share technical data. But this was restricted to flood-season data.

Any diversion of water into the Brahmaputra would seriously affect the condition of people living downstream, the spokesman said.

India's north-eastern states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have expressed concerns about the reported Chinese move. Said Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi: 'Large-scale diversion of water would adversely hit the state's economy and could even lead to environmental problems and affect the surface water table in the north-east.'

The Indian Express, quoting information available with New Delhi, said the Chinese plan to build a series of five medium-sized dams along the Yarlung Zangbo in the Nanshan region of Tibet at Zangmu, Jiacha or Gyatsa, Zhongda, Jiexu and Langzhen.

Sources said New Delhi had taken up the matter with Beijing three years ago when some articles appeared in the media about the projects. China assured India then that these were just articles in the press and 'no concrete decision' had been taken.

The assumption then was that the dam would be built on the tributaries of the Yarlung Zango, but the Zangmu dam project is very much on it.

According to media reports here, the Nanshan Regional Administration issued orders as early as October 2007 for evacuation of people from the area.