Brahmaputra water storage top govt priority amid China threat

URGENT Centre keen to fasten reservoir building as concerns of Beijing diverting water grow NEW DELHI:

India wants to fasttrack plans to build reservoirs to store water from the Brahmaputra and its tributaries to counter a “worst-case scenario” of China diverting about 80% of the river’s lean season flow in Arunachal Pradesh to irrigate the neighbouring country’s arid regions.

The Brahmaputra originates in Tibet, flows eastward and takes a sharp turn west to reach Arunachal Pradesh where it is called Siang. The river’s water discharge is 18.8 billion cubic metre (BCM) in the lean season — November to April — when it enters the eastern state.

The government is keen on storing the Brahmaputra’s water in case China builds a dam in the upper reaches and restricts the river’s flow. The idea stems from a worst-case scenario assessment based on Chinese plans, a senior official said.

India wants to store around 14.8 BCM of water to drive four proposed hydropower projects on the Siang, Lohit, Subansiri and Dibang rivers in Arunachal during the dry winter and spring.

The primary focus is on the 10,000 megawatt Siang project that will have a reservoir to store 9.2 BCM of water.

“The lean season average for Siang at the point it enters India in Arunanchal’s Tuting is 18.2 BCM of water. Then at the next measuring point in Pasighat, it is 22.3 BCM,” an official said.

The reservoirs are likely to help control the annual floods in Assam, the official said.

Harnessing the Brahmaputra for power has been a longstanding plan and it has faced resistance from locals and environmentalists, who argue that dams will inundate large tracts of virgin forests .

But fresh reports of Chinese threats to divert the river’s water prompted the Centre to call a meeting recently to discuss the proposed projects. The governments of Arunanchal h and Assam were asked to give their opinion on an enhanced compensation package to landowners for is the installed capacity of Siang hydro electric project is the estimated height of the dam 14. 56 BCM (billion cubic metre) is the total storage plans for hydropower projects in upper Siang, Lohit, Dibang and Subansiri According to government data Siang holds 18.2 BCM water when it enters India at Tuting during the lean season (November to April). The fear of China diverting 80% of 18.2 BCM water from Siang, will adversely impact lower riparian India during the lean season the Siang project. The states are yet to reply.

“Earlier, the Siang Upper Storage-I and Siang Upper Storage –II were proposed. Now, an in-principle decision was taken to merge the two projects,” a water resources ministry official said.

“The state government has been assured that funding concerns can be addressed and loans will be available,” another official added. is the estimated cost of the proposed project

Funding has been a niggle as investment from abroad for projects in Arunanchal Pradesh raised the hackles of China, which claims 90,000 square km of the state as its own.

Shashi Shekhar, former secretary at the water ministry, called for caution considering the region’s sensitive ecology.

“Holding so much water in a highly tectonic zone can be risky. Much study is required before a final call can be taken,” he said.

According to Shekhar, the government should do a cost-benefit analysis of the project.

But Lalit Mansingh, a former foreign secretary, said the country should raise the storage capacity and mount a diplomatic campaign to expose internationally how China “by stealth works on water diversion in Brahmaputra that can affect a lower riparian state”.