China project to impact Brahmaputra water flow: NGO

Suddenly, it appears everyone has become hyper-concerned about the river Brahmaputra in Assam.

Today, an NGO – Jan Jagriti, claimed the river Brahmaputra will almost dry up by 2015, or at least by 2050, due to an ongoing water diversion project, in addition to a hydro-electric project, in China.

Ashokanand Singhal, president of the NGO, said that a water diversion project and a hydro-electric project were presently underway in China, and when completed, the river Brahmaputra will be left with only 20 per cent of its present water-flow capacity.

“The river Brahmaputra used to provide as many as 78.1 billion cubic metres of water in monsoon and 56.12 billion cubic metres in non-monsoon days to India but today it provides only 60 per cent during non-monsoon days and in monsoon days flow is reduced by 30 per cent. When all dams and water storage facilities become functional, what will happen? We will get only 20 per cent water during monsoon. With this, you can understand yourself where we are heading for,” Singhal said.

He said that China’s projects were of two kinds – one, for hydro power generation and the other was for diverting the river’s water to the arid north.

He said that water diversion project of China will be completed by 2015. “This anticipation is based on the speed of their work. This work is going on since 2008 and government of India is silent,” he said.

“The Indian government is either unaware or wants to conceal the facts that work was going on in China to construct 11 water storages, 2 canals and 5 dams and pumping stations ahead of Great Band area, which is 60-70 kms from the village Gogring in Arunachal Pradesh, where the river Brahmaputra makes the entry into India,” said Singhal.  

The NGO had provided some Google maps to substantiate its revelations. The Google maps, had in fact, clearly shown some structures been erected at the Great Band area in China.