More than a week after the Chinese government approved the construction of a hydropower project in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo river, India on Friday vowed to "take necessary measures" while urging Beijing to ensure that the interests of downstream states are not harmed by the decision.
The river, also known as Yarlung Zangbo, flows through Tibet into Arunachal Pradesh and Assam and is known as the Brahmaputra in India. The hydropower project is located in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region.
“We have seen the information released by Xinhua on 25th December 2024 regarding a hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. As a lower riparian state with established user rights to the waters of the river, we have consistently expressed, through expert-level as well as diplomatic channels, our views and concerns to the Chinese side over mega projects on rivers in their territory," Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said during a weekly media briefing in New Delhi on Friday.
These concerns have been repeated and the need for transparency as well as consultations with downstream countries have been incorporated after the latest report. The Chinese side has been requested to ensure that activities undertaken in upstream areas do not risk the interests of the downstream states of the Brahmaputra," he added.
Being a lower riparian state with considerable established user rights to the waters of the trans-border rivers, the Indian government carefully monitors all developments relating to the Brahmaputra river, including plans by China to develop hydropower projects.
In its 12th Five Year Plan for the period 2011-2015, China had planned to develop three more hydropower projects on the main stream of Brahmaputra River in Tibet Autonomous Region. Of the three, the first unit of the hydropower project at Jiacha was operationalised in August 2020.
China has just recently adopted its 14th Five Year Plan in March 2021. The plan contained plans for the development of hydropower in the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra river.
"The Chinese side has conveyed to us on several occasions that they are only undertaking run-of-the-river hydropower projects, which do not involve diversion of the waters of the Brahmaputra. Various issues relating to trans-border rivers are discussed with China under the ambit of the institutionalized expert-level mechanism as well as through diplomatic channels. We intend to remain engaged with China on the issue of trans-border rivers to safeguard our interests," V Muraleedharan, the then Minister of State for External Affairs, had said while replying to a question in Lok Sabha in July 2021.
The establishment of two new counties in Hotan Prefecture of China, parts of the jurisdiction of which fall in India's Union Territory of Ladakh, and Beijing's announcement thereof, have also prompted New Delhi to turn outrightly critical of China.
"We have never accepted the illegal Chinese occupation of Indian territory in this area. Creation of new counties will neither have a bearing on India's longstanding and consistent position regarding our sovereignty over the area nor lend legitimacy to China's illegal and forcible occupation of the same. We have lodged a solemn protest with the Chinese side through diplomatic channels," stated the MEA spokesperson.
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