China’s Lalho Project
Recently, China announced that it has completed building a dam for a hydroelectric project at Lalho on the Xiabuqu River in Shigatse prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region. As a part of this project, China has blocked the Xiabuqu River. The river Xiabuqu is a tributary of the Brahmaputra (Yarlung Zangbo in Chinese). Brahmaputra passes through the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh, and Assam before entering into Bangladesh. The Lalho project has an investment of $4.95 billion and is scheduled to be completed by 2019. Lalho hydroelectric project is different from other similar projects in Tibet as it is a run-of-the-river project in which the dam will be used for diverting the river water into a tunnel.
Concerns for India
Strategic location
The Lalho project has a significant strategic value as it is lies very near to the junction of Bhutan and Sikkim. From the city of Shigatse, China is also planning to extend their railroads to Nepal.
Efficiency of expert level mechanisms
China’s plan to proceed with Lalho hydro-electric project has raises concerns about the efficiency of the expert level mechanism constituted between India and China. Since 2013, water details are shared between China and India through an expert level mechanism on trans-border rivers.
Question of water
The construction of the Lalho project has raised concerns among the lower riparian countries like India and Nepal. The project is expected to restrict the flow of river water and curtail the water rights of India and Nepal. With more hydro-electric projects, Brahmaputra river system may get affected in the years to come. Both India and China has massive plans for hydropower energy generation in the Brahmaputra river system. This is degrading as it may permanently alter the character of the river.
Geographical character
Hydroelectric projects could alter the geographical character of the region as the dams are being built on slopes with a gradient of as much as 60 degrees and that too on the meeting point of three of the youngest mountain systems in the world. This could bring a disaster if a major earthquake were to hit the mountains. Kedarnath disaster (2013) is a reminder of the dangers that might occur if the Himalayan river systems were to be tamed. Secondly, it will also impact the flow of silt that will be essential to the build-up of soil in the South Asian plains.
Character of Brahmaputra River and political problems
The Brahmaputra river system is younger in character. The fact that it has changed its course a number of times in the past 250 years is a testimony to its variable nature. For instance, in the Char area of Assam, new islands appear and disappear every few years. This makes the inhabitants of the old islands unsure of the country they belong to. The shifting of course often gives to political unrest in north-eastern states. In addition to this, if any further changes to the course of river is made then it might increase the political problems in the north-east. Secondly, the river plays a significant role in the lives of the people in the north-east. Many tribes inhabiting the north-eastern states have built a livelihood around the course of the Brahmaputra River. For instance, the lumberjacks from Arunachal Pradesh transport the cut logs tied to their rafts through the tributaries of the Brahmaputra River.
Concerns for China
According to some experts, Lalho project may do more harm to China than to India. It is said that the Lalho project may not reduce water flow to India in a long run. The Lalho project is situated well upstream of the “great bend” made by the river before it enters India. Larger tributaries of the river join only after the river enters India. Many other tributaries join the river in and around the great bend before the Arunachal Pradesh border. On the other hand, it will more or less dry up a long stretch of area in Tibet that is already suffering from rapid desertification. This will accentuate the problems of the herders as it will take water away from them and further accentuate the problem of desertification.
China’s stance
China has insisted that since the project is a run of the river project it will not impact water levels in the lower riparian states. It has said that the power station associated with the project will have a relatively low generation capacity of only 42 megawatts (MW).
Way forward and Conclusion
Since both India and China want to lower carbon footprint, they have setup aggressive goals for combating climate change by focusing more on renewable sources of energy like hydro-electric projects. So, the way forward to protect India’s interest is to engage in a comprehensive dialogue with China. While the constitution of expert committee in 2013 is a step in the right direction, much more needs to be done. Secondly, the policy of construction of large hydro-electric projects to reduce carbon footprint has to be avoided if possible. Global evidence has clearly shown that large dams are not the solutions to energy sources. It should be understood that the river is a complete ecosystem including flora and fauna. Large dams tend to damage this ecology. All the stakeholders have to realize this aspect. Though China insists that the project includes only a continuous run of the river dams, it too tends to damage the ecology of the river system in the long run.
China should realize the ecological and environmental impacts of the projects it carries out in the Brahmaputra river system. It should also stop using rivers to further its political or geostrategic agenda in the region.
