China’s mega energy mission on Siang River to have cascading impact on India, B’desh: Arunachal CM

By PTI

ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday expressed concern over China’s proposed mega hydropower mission on the upstream of Siang River in Tibet, stating it should have a cascading impact on India and Bangladesh within the close to future.

During a zero-hour dialogue within the state meeting, initiated by Congress MLA Lombo Tayeng looking for a declaration of recurring annual floods in Siang Valley as a pure calamity, Khandu mentioned China has proposed a 60,000 MW hydro-power plant on the river, referred to as Tsangpo in Tibet, in its 14th five-year plan.

“We are worried about the project’s impact in the future. Accordingly, a high-level meeting of the Brahmaputra Board was convened recently. The Centre has proposed a barrage on Siang River so that Chinese activities do not affect the river,” he mentioned.

Khandu mentioned a survey for the proposed barrage will likely be carried out, and as soon as it’s accomplished, the Centre will determine on the following step.

Tayeng, whereas initiating the dialogue, identified that the Siang River is continuously altering its course inflicting huge land erosion of some lakh hectares of cultivated land, and lowering the realm of the D Ering wildlife sanctuary.

“Since there is a possible involvement of China in blocking and diverting of water, dumping of construction material in the river and unwarranted releasing of water in the upstream in their territory, if the phenomenon of recurring floods in Siang Valley is not declared a national calamity and adequate measures taken, it may be disastrous in near future,” Tayeng mentioned.

Khandu, in response, knowledgeable the meeting that there isn’t any provision, government or authorized, to declare a recurring pure calamity as a nationwide calamity.

The current tips of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) don’t ponder declaring a catastrophe as a nationwide calamity.

“There is also no mention of national calamity in Disaster Management Act 2005,” the chief minister added.

He mentioned in case of any main catastrophe, an inter-ministerial central staff visits the affected areas and on the idea of their advice and report, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) allocates further funds to the state from the NDRF.

At least three districts of the state – Siang, Upper Siang and East Siang – via which the river passes earlier than coming into Assam, the place the river is called Brahmaputra, experiences annual floods in the course of the monsoon.

He mentioned a proposal for erosion management and flood administration within the left financial institution of the Siang River within the Mebo sub-division of East Siang district was submitted by the Arunachal Pradesh authorities to the Union Jal Shakti Ministry.

The ministry requested the state administration in May this yr to resubmit the proposal in an built-in method by adopting a basin or sub-basin method masking the key size of the rivers and their tributaries as an alternative of proposing separate works in chosen or arbitrary reaches, he added.

ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday expressed concern over China’s proposed mega hydropower mission on the upstream of Siang River in Tibet, stating it should have a cascading impact on India and Bangladesh within the close to future.

During a zero-hour dialogue within the state meeting, initiated by Congress MLA Lombo Tayeng looking for a declaration of recurring annual floods in Siang Valley as a pure calamity, Khandu mentioned China has proposed a 60,000 MW hydro-power plant on the river, referred to as Tsangpo in Tibet, in its 14th five-year plan.

“We are worried about the project’s impact in the future. Accordingly, a high-level meeting of the Brahmaputra Board was convened recently. The Centre has proposed a barrage on Siang River so that Chinese activities do not affect the river,” he mentioned.googletag.cmd.push(perform() googletag.show(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); );

Khandu mentioned a survey for the proposed barrage will likely be carried out, and as soon as it’s accomplished, the Centre will determine on the following step.

Tayeng, whereas initiating the dialogue, identified that the Siang River is continuously altering its course inflicting huge land erosion of some lakh hectares of cultivated land, and lowering the realm of the D Ering wildlife sanctuary.

“Since there is a possible involvement of China in blocking and diverting of water, dumping of construction material in the river and unwarranted releasing of water in the upstream in their territory, if the phenomenon of recurring floods in Siang Valley is not declared a national calamity and adequate measures taken, it may be disastrous in near future,” Tayeng mentioned.

Khandu, in response, knowledgeable the meeting that there isn’t any provision, government or authorized, to declare a recurring pure calamity as a nationwide calamity.

The current tips of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) don’t ponder declaring a catastrophe as a nationwide calamity.

“There is also no mention of national calamity in Disaster Management Act 2005,” the chief minister added.

He mentioned in case of any main catastrophe, an inter-ministerial central staff visits the affected areas and on the idea of their advice and report, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) allocates further funds to the state from the NDRF.

At least three districts of the state – Siang, Upper Siang and East Siang – via which the river passes earlier than coming into Assam, the place the river is called Brahmaputra, experiences annual floods in the course of the monsoon.

He mentioned a proposal for erosion management and flood administration within the left financial institution of the Siang River within the Mebo sub-division of East Siang district was submitted by the Arunachal Pradesh authorities to the Union Jal Shakti Ministry.

The ministry requested the state administration in May this yr to resubmit the proposal in an built-in method by adopting a basin or sub-basin method masking the key size of the rivers and their tributaries as an alternative of proposing separate works in chosen or arbitrary reaches, he added.