Dear Editor,
The main tributary of Brahmaputra, Siang turning black with pollutants is a serious matter. Could dam building activities across the border be a reason for that? The 3000 km long Trans-boundary River originated as Yarlung Tsangpo in Southern Tibet that turns into the Brahmaputra once it enters India. There are sporadic reports on China’s water diversion plans by constructing a world’s largest 1000 km long tunnel system to divert waters to arid Xinjiang. China already has a 5 km Dahuofang water tunnel project in Liaoning province. The findings of the Central water commission say this pollution on Brahmaputra caused by the earthquake in Tibet on 17 November.
Whatever may be the reason nevertheless it has long term ecological and environmental impact to North East region as well as to riparian Bangladesh. India’s decade old unsuccessful track record of planning to clean Ganga press Assam a panic button. And China continued disregard of agreed norms of Indo-China relation. After Doklam standoff, India received no hydro-logical data. However Bangladesh continues receiving data from China. Chinese six run-of-the-river hydro power projects with storage can unleash natural disasters for seismically sensitive and geologically evolving Himalayas. Unlike Tibet, the bank of the river of Indian side is thickly inhabited. The recent unseasonal flood might be the cause of sudden burst of dam. Also such gigantic diversions of water could face China a serious financial and technical impediments.
Yours,
Kamal Baruah,
Guwahati