Experts concerned over Brahmaputra diversion

New Delhi, Nov 10 (UNI) Experts and several concerned groups of citizens today cautioned the country to be alert to the dangers of China's attempts to build the world's biggest hydro electric dam and divert the waters of Brahmaputra, before it flows to India, to feed Yellow river and meet the ease shortage in northern provinces.

The experts and concerned citizens, taking part in a seminar organised by Tibetan Parliamentary and Policy Research Centre, ahead of Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit said China has the tendency to go for mega projects and make it a reality, be it Great Wall of China or the recent Three Gorges Dam or the building of rail track to inaccessable Tibet. The country should be alert and vigilant to the lurking dangers said Mr Claude Arpi.

Mr Himamshu Thakkar, Coordinator South Asia Network of River, Dams and People said after the news reports to this effect, the Chinese Water Resources Minister had not denied the reports but had termed the project as 'unscientific and unnecessary', while the Foreign Ministry Spokesman had totally rejected the reports saying that there was no such reports on the table. Such 'double speak' defines the way China deals with other countries. While it is not necessary to blow the issue out of proporations, India should take it up not only at the diplomatic level but also during the Chinese President's visit, he said.

He said there were flash floods in Brahmaputra Arunachal Pradesh in June 2000, washing away the bridges and killing 27 people and this situation existed in Sutlej too, clogging Nathpa Jhakri hydro power station when there were no rains on Indian side or on the Chinese side. Till today, India is not aware of the exact cause. India was not alerted about the floods in Brahmaputra dispite a treaty between the countries to share weather information data. When Indian experts wanted to visit the lake which caused the flood, they were denied access. The situation is not going to improve any better and India has to be on the extra vigilant, he said.

Both Mr Arpi and Mr Thakkar said nothing on the ground has happened so far, but if the decision is made, China has the capacity to build 40,000 MW of hydro power facility in less than 10 years but the water diversion project may take another few decades. This, however, would deny water to Brahmaputra, the only river where India has surplus water and the grand plans to link Himalayan rivers with peninsular India is never going to take off, Mr Thakkar, an IIT trained engineer said.

The news reports had stated China was proposing to build the hydro generation and divert the water to Northern China before Brahmaputra took a sharp U turn just before it touches Arunachal Pradesh and flow further to Asom and Bangladesh. The river gorge in this zone is one of the deepest canyon in the world.

Tibetan representatives said the Great Bend is considered as a sacred region and is the habitat for Monpa tribes. Above all, the region was the epicentre for the 1950 quake.

Prof V Subramanian, of the Jawaharlal Nehru University said the building of mega hydro power facility and diversion would have huge impact on bio-diversity of fragile Himalayan region. The Himalayan rivers in Asia though, was only 20 per cent of the water available in Amazon river, it fed one billion population compared to Amazon, which had to sustain a population roughly like that of Uttar Pradesh. The Himalayan river system, unlike the stable Amazonian, was highly indisciplined because the Himalayan zone is still active zone.

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