China to fast track India’s Hydel Projects development ! ! !

While the title of this post seems illogical and surprising at times; the same is becoming a reality now-a-days. With the China factor looming large, the Centre is desperately pushing the Arunachal Pradesh Government to expedite the development of storage hydroelectric projects on the Brahmaputra.

According to reports, China is planning to construct world’s largest hydro-electric project on river Brahmaputra after its own another largest hydro-electric project; Three Gorges Dam.   The proposed project is being constructed on the upper reaches of the river involving the setting up of a massive dam on the bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo — the Tibetan name for the Brahmaputra.

This will force India to speed up its own hydro projects on Brahmaputra to create a strong bargaining position to detract China from building mega hydel projects on the upper reaches of the river.

So far, India's success rate on this front has been dismal. Projects such as the 3,000-MW Dibang have been stuck for over three years now. Just two projects — NEEPCO's 600 MW Kameng and NHPC's 2,000 MW Lower Subhansiri — have a realistic change of coming up on the Brahmaputra over the next six years.

Even as NTPC Ltd has been roped in to prepare a feasibility study for a proposed 9,750-MW Siang Upper hydroelectric project, analysts are sceptical of how fast things can move.

Road and rail links, a prerequisite for transporting equipment to project sites, are lacking desperately. A key transmission link that was to come up for strengthening linkages with the North-Easter during the current Plan period is still held up for funds.

Additionally, the stated position of the Arunachal Government to avoid storage projects involving big dams is a hurdle.

The Ministry of Power has recently stated before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy that it is trying hard to convince the Arunachal Government on the need for storage projects, officials said.

According to Dr. Brahma Chellaney, Professor of Strategic Studies, Centre for Policy Research

“If India harnesses the Brahmaputra in Arunachal through the proposed projects, it will strengthen its case against China's building of a mega-dam at Metog. But, it will have to do it before China does its project. Under the doctrine of prior appropriation, a priority right falls on the first user of river waters,”

The Tsangpo river flows through 1,625 km in Tibet, and then enters Arunachal Pradesh, where it is known as the Siang. Further down, the Siang — after its confluence with the Dibang and Lohit — is known as the Brahmaputra.

India is thus, on the downstream side of all the developments being planned in China on the river.