UPSC Articles
China gives ‘go ahead’ for New Dam on Brahmaputra
Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – International Relations
In news
- Recently, China has given the go ahead for a Chinese hydropower company to construct the first downstream hydropower project on the lower reaches of the river Brahmaputra.
Key takeaways
- The state-owned hydropower company signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) government to implement hydropower exploitation in the downstream of the Yarlung Zangbo river as part of the new Five Year Plan (2021-2025).
- This will be the first time the downstream sections of the river will be tapped.
- The location of the planned project has not been mentioned anywhere.
- This 50 km section alone offers a potential of developing 70 million kilowatt hours (Kwh).
Important value addition
Brahmaputra
- It originates under the name of Siang or Dihang, from the Chemayungdung glacier of the Kailash range near the Mansarovar lake.
- It enters India west of Sadiya town in Arunachal Pradesh.
- Tributaries: Dibang, Lohit, Siang, Burhi Dihing, Tista, and Dhansari.
- It is a perennial river.
- It has several peculiar characteristics due to its geography and prevailing climatic conditions.
- It is flooded twice annually.
- One flood is caused by the melting of the Himalayan snow in summer and the other due to the monsoon flows.
- The frequency of these floods has increased.
- These floods are devastating due to climate change and its impact on high and low flows.
- These pose a concern for the population and food security in the lower riparian states of India and Bangladesh.
- The river is in itself dynamic as frequent landslides and geological activity force it to change course very often.
