China on Thursday played down its plan to build a major dam in the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra river in Tibet, saying there is no need to have “any anxiety over the project and Beijing will continue to have “good communication” with lower riparian states – India and Bangladesh.”
China’s plan to build the dam over Brahmaputra river, reportedly at Medog in Tibet, which borders Arunachal Pradesh, was disclosed by Yan Zhiyong, chairman of the Power Construction Corp of China, at a conference recently.
The over 3,800-km-long Brahmaputra, one of the longest rivers in the world passes through China, India and Bangladesh and has several tributaries and sub-tributaries.
Yan said China will “implement hydropower exploitation in the downstream of the Yarlung Zangbo River (the Tibetan name for Brahmaputra) and the project could serve to maintain water resources and domestic security”, the Global Times reported on Sunday.
In Bangladesh, Sheikh Rokon, secretary-general of environment campaigners Riverine People, said a multilateral discussion should be held before China builds any dams.
“China’s downstream neighbours have a legitimate cause for concern. Water flow will be disrupted,” he said.
India and Bangladesh are also engaged in a long-standing disputes over sharing river water. The two countries share 54 rivers between them.
