China blocks Brahmaputra tributary Xiabuqu
Q. China has blocked which tributary of the Brahmaputra river in Tibet for constructing a hydro project?- Published on 04 Oct 16a. Xiamuqu
b. Xiaguqu
c. Xiabuqu
d. None of the above
ANSWER: Xiabuqu
China on 30th September 2016 blocked a tributary of the Brahmaputra river in Tibet
- Chinese news agency Xinhua confirmed that China is constructing a hydro-project on XIabuqu River, a tributary of Brahmaputra in Xigaze, Tibet
- This is closely located to Sikkim
- The blockage of the river tributary may impact water flows into lower riparian countries like Bangladesh and India
- The tributary blockage comes at a time when India has decided to suspend talks with Pakistan under the Indus Water Treaty as part of the effort to hit back Pakistan following the Uri attack
- Just like the Brahmaputra, the Indus originates in the Chinese Tibetan plateau
- In 2015, China operationalised its USD 1.5 billion Zam Hydropower Station which is the largest on Tibet’s Brahmaputra river
- Both India and China have no water treaty similar to the Indus water treaty between India and Pakistan
- But they have established an Expert Level Mechanism on trans-border rivers.
- In October 2013, the two nations signed an MoU on strengthening the cooperation on trans-border rivers as part of which Beijing will provide water flow data to India
- Chinese Lalho project in Xigaze of Tibet on the Xiabuqu river a ,tributary of the Yarlung Zangbo(Tibet’s name for the Brahmaputra) has started in 2014 and will be completed by 2019
- As per reports, China in the 12th 5 year plan has approved three more hydropower projects in the mainstream of the Brahmaputra which has been approved for implementation
- Chinese efforts to redraw the water map will impact India as a vastly dense population of the NE states depends on water from Brahmaputra and its tributaries
- The river is a lifeline for the region and any blockage will impact both ecology and economy
- China will have control over the water of the river after it completes the dam constructions- this is a direct attack on India which is also a violation of the global norms of river water sharing
