Newsletter No. 62;
IRBMS
over water and sometimes Punjab and Haryana is Delhi has also asked data for non-monsoon flows
fighting over water. One side India and Pakistan of the river, at the time when there is a talk going
fighting over Indus water on the other side around that China could divert Brahmaputra basin
Bangladesh and India is disputing over Tista water. water to its parched regions during dry season.
It seems it is really a serious issue.” I was surprised China has constructed several hydropower dams
with his comment, then suddenly he asked “But on the river in Tibet region. China’s declared
why so? Do we not have any guiding principle in position is that these dams are not to store or
terms of using water?” Now I got stuck, he is divert water therefore these Dams will not be
correct there is a fundamental problem associated against the interest of downstream countries. But
with water use in India in terms of sectors, regions in recent years, in NE India, fears are growing that
and there is no elaborate clear water policy present these Dams may divert water which will reduce
in India till now. In the absence of a policy, water availability of water in dry season and they may
crisis is becoming complicated day by day. also suddenly release monsoon water which may
cause flood in downstream. Two months back the
NEWS
South China Morning Post had reported that
China was building a 1,000-km long tunnel to
(1)
The
Brahmaputra
water
data
take the Tsangpo water to Xinjiang Province to
green
sharing politics by China
the
Taklamakan
desert. Immediately,
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson called it a
Govt. of India is not receiving hydrological data for “false report” and said Beijing would take into
the upstream of river Brahmaputra from China. account interests of downstream countries.
Although the agreement between China and India
specifies such data sharing, their reply is that
hydrological stations are being upgraded and as
such it cannot share data. But surprisingly BBC
reports that China continues to share data with
2) Siang river turns black in Arunachal
Pradesh.
Recently it has been noticed that Siang River in
Bangladesh. The data is mainly of the water level of Arunachal Pradesh has turned muddy and slushy
the river to alert downstream countries in case of with traces of cement are noticed at a time of the
floods. China in reply says they could not send the year when its waters are supposed to be crystal
data due to some technological reasons.
New
2
Integrated River Basin Management Society