Explanation: What is the ‘Mother of All Dam’ in China that stops the Brahmaputra water, causing drought?

China is building a huge embankment on the Yalung Tsangpo River, known as the Brahmaputra River in India. He is building the world’s largest hydroelectric power project ie a 60,000 MW mega dam on this river. Its construction is going to have a very negative impact on India. In a way, this will be a big water tool against India.

While this dam will increase both China’s power and energy, it will make people in India and Bangladesh yearn for water. In fact, the Brahmaputra river not only quenches the thirst of the people in India and Bangladesh but also helps to lock the fields and agriculture in the North East of the country. -Mostly India and China.

China has built many dams to control the water of the Brahmaputra river, but this is not only large but it will greatly reduce the flow of water coming to India and Bangladesh. Therefore, artificial floods during the rainy season will cause great destruction.

In response to this, India has proposed a 11,000 MW hydropower project on the Siang River in the Upper Siang district of Arunachal Although this project is big but it is not like China.

Question – What kind of problems will this Chinese dam bring? What does the example of the Mekong River tell?
It can be understood from this example how this Chinese dam will bring problems in the future. In 2021, China reduced the water flow of the Mekong River by 50 percent for three weeks without any prior warning. The flow cuts were apparently made to maintain power lines but affected millions of people living along waterways in the Southeast Asian countries of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

Question – How is China’s dam on the Mekong causing drought in many countries?
– In 2019, China’s dams in the upper Mekong River basin retained record amounts of water, a new record, even as the region experienced above-average rainfall during the rainy season. As a result, low-lying countries faced an unprecedented drought this rainy season. And since then, China is blocking the water of this river and causing severe drought in the respective countries.

This had a negative impact on the economy and food security of the region. Farmers’ crops have been damaged, fish populations have dwindled and reservoir levels have dropped dangerously low.

Question – Where did the Brahmaputra river come from in China and how much does it flow in Tibet?
Now, the Yalung Tsangpo is one of the largest international river systems in the world. It originates in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau in southwest China and flows 2,900 kilometers through the Himalayas into southern Tibet. Then it enters India through the Indian states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh (known as Southern Tibet in China), where it is called Brahmaputra.
The Yarlung Tsangpo travels a distance of about 3,000 kilometers through the Tibet Autonomous Region to the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Then it flows through Bangladesh and joins the Bay of Bengal. It is the highest great river on Earth, flowing at an average height of 4,000 meters.

Question – Will China use it as a pressure tool by building a dam on Brahmaputra?
– Experts believe that building dams on rivers like the Brahmaputra will help China control the flow of water downstream. With this, China will use water as a political tool and otherwise dominate South Asia in things like irrigation, power generation or flood control. This is going to have a big impact on India and Bangladesh.
In 2016, China disrupted the flow of the Xiabuku river, a tributary of the Brahmaputra near the China-India border in Tibet. At first glance this restriction was made to facilitate the operation of the Lalho Hydroelectric Project. For China, control of the main water sources of the main rivers provides an opportunity in negotiations with downstream countries.

Question: In the past, did China do anything with India that should not have been done regarding the river?
– After the Doklam standoff with India, China “suddenly” stopped sharing hydrological data for the Brahmaputra river despite previous agreements. In contrast, Bangladesh continued to receive uninterrupted data from China. This behavior of China indicates that it intends to use water resources as a political tool against India in the context of South Asia.

Question – How far from India is the dam being built on the Brahmaputra river?
– The dam site is on the eastern border of the Himalayas, close to the disputed border with the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. This is where the river takes a dramatic U-turn. Here, the height of the river drops over 2,700 meters in a span of 50 kilometers before it turns its course towards India.

Question – Where does most of the water in the north-eastern regions of India come from?
The geographical position of India is such that most of the water in its north-east comes from the rivers that flow from China, which is both beneficial and harmful. India, as a low-lying coastal country, depends on these high flows for its agriculture and water security, if a country like China does this the situation will be very dangerous and uncertain.

Question – What kind of dam is going to be built on Siang?
India sees its recent proposal to build a dam on the Siang as a change of strategy, aimed at “asserting its water rights and reducing dependence on Chinese activities.” ” This dam was first proposed by the central government think tank NITI Aayog in 2017. The commission had said that it would be the largest hydropower project in the country, with a capacity of 10,000 MW. However, the local people are opposing this dam.

Tags: China, the Chinese India, China India Dispute