12th Plan stresses hydropower from Yarlung Zangbo
China has given the go-ahead for the construction of three new hydropower dams on the middle reaches of the Brahmaputra river, ending a two-year halt in approving new projects on the river amid concerns from India and environmental groups.
The three new dams have been approved by the State Council, or Cabinet, under a new energy development plan for 2015 that was released on January 23, according to a copy of the plan available with The Hindu.
China has, so far, only begun construction on one major hydropower dam on the main stream of the middle reaches of the Brahmaputra or Yarlung Zangbo as it is known in China – a 510 MW project in Zangmu in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), which began to be built in 2010.
One of the three approved new dams is bigger than the Zangmu project.
A 640 MW dam will be built in Dagu, which lies 18 km upstream of Zangmu. Another 320 MW dam will be built at Jiacha, also on the middle reaches of the Brahmaputura downstream of Zangmu. A third dam will be built at Jiexu, 11 km upstream of Zangmu. The capacity of the Jiexu dam is, as yet, unconfirmed.
The three projects were listed in the State Council’s energy plan for the Twelfth Five Year Plan period (2011-15), which was released on January 23.
Vigorous push
The plan said the government “will push forward vigorously the hydropower base construction” on the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo. In the Twelfth Five Year plan period (2011-15), the government will begin construction of 120 million kilowatt of conventional hydropower.
Feasibility study
A pre-feasibility study report for the 640 MW Dagu dam passed review in November, according to the Huadong Engineering Corporation, a hydropower company that was tasked with conducting the study by the local government.
A notice posted on its website said a two-day review conference for the pre-feasibility study of the dam was held in November, organised by the Tibet Autonomous Region government’s Development and Reform Commission. The notice said the study successfully passed review, adding that the dam would be located 18 km upstream of the already in-construction Zangmu dam.
The catchment area at the dam site, according to the Huadong Engineering Corporation, is 157,400 square kilometres, and the average annual discharge is 1010 cubic metres per second.
The dam will be built with a height of 124 metres and 640 MW capacity. The construction of the Zangmu dam in 2010 triggered concerns in India regarding possible impact on downstream flows. Chinese officials, however, assured their Indian counterparts that the project was only a run-of-the-river hydropower station, which would not divert the Brahmaputra’s waters. The government has also built at least six smaller hydropower projects on the Yarlung Zangbo’s tributaries, which, officials say, will have no impact on downstream flows.
Diversion plan shelved
The government has, for now, shelved a long-discussed plan to divert the Yarlung Zangbo’s waters to the arid north, citing technical difficulties. The plan is part of the proposed Western route of the massive South-to-North diversion project, on which construction is yet to begin. Chinese officials and analysts say a diversion plan is very unlikely, considering the difficult terrain and technical problems.
However, with the three new approvals under the energy plan, four hydropower projects will now be built — all located within a few dozen kilometres of each other — on the main stream of the middle reaches of the Brahmaputra.
Fresh concerns likely in India
While they are run-of-the-river projects, they will be required to store large volumes of water for generating power. Their construction is likely to trigger fresh concerns in India on how the flows of the Brahmaputra downstream will be impacted.
Keywords: Brahmaputra dams, China hydropower dams, Brahmaputra river, Yarlung Zangbo, Zangmu project, India-China relations
There are two fundamental bases for relations between nations, goodwill
and altruism and might is right. The might is right type is invariably
coupled with a zero-sum-gain mindset. Unfortunately South Asia mostly
subscribes to the later, within South Asia and with it's neighbors.
All of India's water sharing issues are guided by might is right,
Brahmaputra is the one case in which India is on the wrong end of this
yard stick, hence the clamor for International Law.
Instead of just voicing concern and citing international rules, India should have the Brahmaputra and other trans border rivers to be discussed bilaterally with China just like the border issue.
Nepal is not in the Yarlung Zangbo (the Brahmputra) river basin. Delhi's blatant unilateral behavior on regionally shared Ganga river water has not created good precedent in our trans-Himalayan region. We in Nepal are firmly convinced that the best sustainable and optimum conservation and utilization of international water courses are possible only if there is greater regional or trans-Himalayan cooperation among the countries in the respective river basin.
Where else will additional hydro capacity to stabilize the grid because of the massive nukes being constructed come from: Look at this:
China has 15 nuclear power-generating units in operation with a total installed capacity of 12540 MW, and another 26 units currently under construction will add another 29240 MW, according to a government white paper on energy policy released in October 2012. But apart from stabilising the grid if at all, dams will contribute to massive earthquakes and may be kill some nukes as happened at Fukushima.
The Brahmaputra is an international River. The watershed of the river
encompasses territorial boundaries of several countries, including
China, Nepal, Bhutan, India and Bangladesh. China'a unilateral decision
to construct dams on the Brahmaputra River is grossly illegal from
humanitarian standpoint. The right way of sharing water resources of an
international river of such magnitude is to form an International
Regional Forum, before making such a huge decision to build three dams
on the Upper Reaches of the Brahmaputra. The construction of three dams
by China in the Tibetan region would have major economic and
environmental impacts within the India and Bangladesh region. Real
victims in the future would be population residing in the lower reaches
of the river i.e. Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and entire Bangladesh. The
unilateral decision of China is definitely a sign of arrogance and act
of violence. Assam and Bangladesh would pay severely due to China's
unmindful and uncivilized act.
Soft pedalling the issue will mean that India will be at the mercy of China.They can starve or flood Indian side of the river as and when they please.
Immediate action in International court is warranted. China will build the structure so fast that Mandarins in South Block will be caught napping.
Why did India recognize Tibet as part of China? Why Dalai Lama was
allowed to stay In India? I am disgusted with Indian politicians. They
dont foresee and they lack vision! Who can save India? In time to come
India will be taken over by China. I am ashamed to be of an Indian
origin. India can never get back Kashmir under the administration of
Pakistan,and Indian military is losing in Arunachal Pradesh. Indians
lack patriotism.No one can stop Chinese expansion. Where is Indian
sovereignty?
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