A day after China commissioned the biggest hydro-power plant in Tibet on 23 November 2014.

The operationalisation of the first generating unit of the USD 1.5 billion Zangmu plant, located 3,300
metres above sea level, before the scheduled 2015 start date, indicates that Beijing means business in
tapping the resources of the Yarlung Tsangpo, as the Brahmaputra is called in China.
. It is designed to generate 2.5 billion kilowatt hours of electricity annually.
New Delhi, so far, does not seem to be unduly perturbed by the development because it appears to believe
Beijings assurance that the Zangmu dam is a run-of-the-river project that will not involve either
diversion of the river's waters nor have a major impact on downstream flows.
Beijing last year cleared the construction of three new dams on the Yarlung Tsangpo. A 640 MW
dam, obviously bigger than the Zangmu project, is to come up at Dagu, around 20 km upstream of
Zangmu. Two smaller dams are on the cards at Jiacha and Jiexu,
Chinas massive plan to dam the Yarlung Tsangpo has raised serious concerns in India, particularly in
the Northeast, besides other lower riparian states like Bangladesh. Green groups at home are already
demanding

intervention by the Indian Government to prevent building of more dams .

They

fear reduction in the water flow on the Brahmaputra and other disasters like massive siltation.
But the absence of a water treaty between the two nations will make New Delhis task all the more
difficult in dealing with the issue. The only agreement that the two nations have on the subject is
over hydrological data sharing. - Beijing agreed to provide 15 days additional hydrological data from 15 May to 15 October each year.
additional 15 days worth of hydrological information will not enable India to deal with the flood
problem any differently. What India needs is input from the Chinese side on dams and other
projects Beijing is pursuing or intends to pursue based on the waters of the Yarlung Tsangpo
Delhi can initiate the setting up of something like a South Asia Shared Rivers Commission or
Authority by bringing Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan and Nepal on board., it can engage with
China and try to bring Beijing on board to adopt a reasonable approach on its mega dam projects
on the Yarlung Tsangpo and allay apprehensions in the lower riparian areas, including Bangladesh.
There is added concern because China also apparently has plans to divert the Yarlung Tsangpo at
the Great Bend, located just before where the river enters India, also known as the Shoumatan
Point, to provide water to its arid northern areas which involves three man-made rivers carrying water
to its northern parts. If the water is diverted, the water levels of the Brahmaputra will drop significantly,
affecting India's Northeastern region and Bangladesh
Indias response on the subject is awaited, and until then, speculations about the impact of the Chinese
dams on the river will continue to haunt everyone in Northeast India and Bangladesh.