Want China Times
November 26, 2014
The Zangmu Dam. (Internet photo)
New Delhi has expressed its concern over the completion of China’s Zangmu Dam project, a hydroelectric power station on the Brahmaputra river in Tibet, because it allows Beijing to control the river’s flow into Arunachal Pradesh and other parts of the northeastern India, reports the Times of India.
In addition to India, Bangladesh also fears that the dam will cause flash floods and landslides threatening millions of people downstream since the Brahmaputra is one of the strongest Himalayan rivers. The power plant is restricted to dams made off the main body of water that generate electricity. From the perspective of the Chinese government, it poses very little danger.
China put the largest of the hydropower stations into operation on Nov. 23. The mechanism will be good for “harnessing the rich water resources of the river to empower the development of the electricity-strapped region.” A total of US$1.5 billion was spent to complete the six sections of the dam. The first section began its service over 3,300 meters above sea level and construction of other five sections is estimated to be completed next year.
The Zangmu Dam is expected to have a power capacity of 510,000kW after its completion in four years, as well as an estimated 2.5 billion kilowatt-hours of production annually. India said that it will launch extensive studies on the impact of dam construction and behavioral changes on the Brahmaputra. Whether the results of the studies will have any influence on the construction deadlines for the four other dams is questionable.
Hua Chunying, spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, said China always takes a responsible attitude toward the exploitation of cross-border rivers in the border region. The construction of the hydropower stations will not affect flood control or river ecology on the lower reaches, she added.
In a joint statement released during Chinese president Xi Jinping’s visit to India in September, the Indian side also thanked China for its assistance in offering hydrological data and in dealing with emergencies, said the spokeswoman. “China and India have maintained sound communication and cooperation on transborder river issues,” Hua said. “China has done a great deal in providing hydrological data for India in accordance with a humanitarian spirit and in handling emergencies.”
