What else could lead to another flashpoint for India, the Chinese parliament on Thursday adopted a 14th five-year plan that thinks, among other billions of dollars’ worth projects, a powerful dam to build, against the Brahmaputra River in Tibet, near the Arunachal Pradesh border.
India and Bangladesh, which are both low-lying regions, have been concerned about any dam in the lower reaches of the river known as Yarlung Zangbo. Although it remains to be seen whether the project will pay off to any water diversion, sources in New Delhi said the government was still working with China under the 2006 expert level mechanism, and through diplomatic channels, on developments related to Brahmaputra.
The dam’s proposal was first reported late last year after which China said there was no reason to worry about this project and that Beijing was going to have good communication with lower-regions state.
While stating that the development of hydropower in low-lying areas was China’s legitimate right, China at that time also said that all these projects went through scientific planning and testing fully considering the impact of the river.
India had said in December that it was following closely what was happening in Brahmaputra and that the government had always conveyed its concerns to Chinese authorities
Reports from Beijing said the National People’s Congress, a Chinese legislature with more than 2,000 members, had approved the plan in the presence of President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiand and other senior leaders.
