India keeping close watch on Chinese dams on Brahmaputra

NEW DELHI: India is closely monitoring construction of dams by China on river Brahmaputra including any diversion of water due to construction of dams, the minstry of external affairs (MEA) told Parliament.

The Indian government has consistently conveyed its views and concerns to the Chinese authorities, the Ministry stated in a written answer tabled in Lok Sabha on Wednesday. “The ‘Outline of the 12th Five Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People’s Republic of China’ endorsed in March 2011 indicated that three hydropower projects on the main stream of Brahmaputra river in Tibet Autonomous Region were approved for implementation by the Chinese authorities.

A hydropower project at Zangmu was declared fully operational by Chinese authorities in October 2015,” Minister of state MEA V Muraleedharan stated while answering a query. Zangmu dam over the Brahmaputra, which became partially operational in 2014, raised serious concerns in India as the first major hydropower project among a few more planned by China on the trans-border river in Tibet. The dam's reservoir capacity of just 86.6 million cubic meters of water accounts for a tiny portion of the average annual runoff of the Brahmaputra.