Latest news with #ArunachalPradesh
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Explainer-Why China's neighbours are worried about its new mega-dam project
By David Stanway SINGAPORE (Reuters) -China has broken ground on what it says will be the world's largest hydropower project, a $170 billion feat capable of generating enough electricity each year to power Britain. The scheme dwarfs the mighty Three Gorges Dam, currently the world's largest, and Chinese construction and engineering stocks surged after Premier Li Qiang unveiled it on the weekend. For Beijing, the project promises clean power, jobs and a jolt of stimulus for a slowing economy. For neighbours downstream, it stirs old anxieties about water security: the Yarlung Zangbo becomes the Brahmaputra in India and Bangladesh, a lifeline for millions. WHAT EXACTLY DID CHINA APPROVE? The plan involves five dams along a 50‑km stretch where the river plunges 2,000 metres off the Tibetan Plateau. First power is expected to be generated in the early‑to‑mid 2030s, but beyond that and the price tag, China has published little information about how it intends to build the project. WHY ARE NEIGHBOURS CONCERNED That lack of information is compounding fears about water security in India and Bangladesh, which rely on the Brahmaputra for irrigation, hydropower and drinking water. The chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, which borders China, said earlier this year that the dam could dry out 80% of the river passing through the Indian state while potentially inundating downstream areas such as neighbouring Assam state. In addition to water, the dam will also mean less sediment flowing downstream, according to Michael Steckler, a professor at Columbia University. That sediment carries nutrients essential for agriculture on floodplains downstream. India and China fought a border war in this region in the 1960s, and the lack of transparency from Beijing has helped fuel speculation it might use the dam to cut off water in another conflict, according to Sayanangshu Modak, an expert on the India-China water relationship at the University of Arizona. "The construction of the Yarlung Zangbo hydropower project is a matter within the scope of China's sovereign affairs," Beijing's foreign ministry said on Tuesday, adding the dam would provide clean energy and prevent flooding. "China has also conducted necessary communication with downstream countries regarding hydrological information, flood control, and disaster mitigation cooperation related to the Yarlung Zangbo project," the ministry said. India's foreign and water ministries did not respond to requests for comment. WILL IT STARVE INDIA OF WATER? But the impact of the dam on downstream flows has been overstated, in part because the bulk of the water that enters the Brahmaputra is from monsoon rainfall south of the Himalayas, and not from China, said Modak. He added that China's plans are for a "run of the river" hydropower project, which means the water will flow normally along the usual course of the Brahmaputra. India itself has proposed two dams on the Siang river, its name for the Yarlung Zangbo. One, an 11.5-gigawatt project in Arunachal Pradesh, will be India's largest if it goes ahead. Those have been proposed, in part, to assert India's claims on the river and bolster its case should China ever seek to divert the water, Modak added. "If India can show that it has been using the waters, then China cannot unilaterally divert," he said. CONTROVERSY IS COMMON Quarrels over dams and water security are not new. Pakistan has accused India of weaponising shared water supplies in the disputed Kashmir region after New Delhi suspended its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty, which regulates water sharing between the neighbours. In Egypt, a senior politician was once caught on camera proposing to bomb a controversial Nile river dam planned by Ethiopia during a long-running dispute over the project. EARTHQUAKE AND EXTREME WEATHER RISKS The dam will be built in an earthquake zone also prone to landslides, glacial‑lake floods and storms. A spree of dam building in the area sparked concerns from experts about safety following a devastating earthquake in Tibet earlier this year. A much smaller hydropower project on a nearby tributary has been limited to four‑month construction windows because of engineering challenges in high altitudes and vicious winters. Solve the daily Crossword
ABC News
a day ago
- Business
- ABC News
China begins construction of Tibet mega-dam
China has begun construction of the world's largest hydro-electric dam along a river which runs through Tibet and India, despite concerns from its neighbours that millions of people could be negatively impacted by it. Once built, the dam could dwarf the record-breaking Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in central China and is expected to power the Tibetan region. It is planned to have five cascade hydro-electric dams, which together would generate as much energy annually as the United Kingdom consumes in a single year. Beijing has said the dam will help meet power demand in Tibet and the rest of China without having a major effect on downstream water supplies or the environment. Operations are expected sometime in the 2030s. But the governments of India and Bangladesh have expressed concerns about the project. The waterway being dammed, the Yarlung Zangbo, becomes the Brahmaputra River as it leaves Tibet and flows south into India and finally into Bangladesh. Non-government organisations say the dam will irreversibly harm the Tibetan Plateau and hit millions of people downstream. The chief minister of India's Arunachal Pradesh state, Pema Khandu, said earlier this year that such a colossal dam barely 50 kilometres from the border could dry out 80 per cent of the river passing as it passes through the region. Mr Handu also warned that the dam could potentially inundate downstream areas in Arunachal and neighbouring Assam state. India's foreign ministry in January said it had raised concerns with China about the project in Tibet, saying it will "monitor and take necessary measures to protect our interests". China has meanwhile insisted the dam would not have any downstream impacts and would work closely with its neighbours. At the official event marking the start of construction on Saturday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang described the dam as a "project of the century". He added that special emphasis "must be placed on ecological conservation to prevent environmental damage," China's Xinhua news agency reported. Despite the potential for regional tensions, a number of Chinese companies in the construction sector saw their share prices rise on Monday. Government bond yields also rose across the board on Monday, with the most-traded 30-year treasury futures CTLU5 falling to five-week lows, as investors interpreted the news as part of China's economic stimulus. The project, overseen by the newly formed state-owned China Yajiang Group, marks a major boost in public investment to help bolster economic growth as current drivers show signs of faltering. "Assuming 10 years of construction, the investment/GDP boost could reach 120 billion yuan (AU$25 billion) for a single year," global bank Citi said in a note. "The actual economic benefits could go beyond that." Reuters/AFP
The Standard
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Standard
India's top think tank recommends easing investment rules for Chinese firms, sources say
A man walks inside a conference room used for meetings between military commanders of China and India, at the Indian side of the Indo-China border at Bumla, in the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, November 11, 2009. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/File Photo
CNA
27-06-2025
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - Beyond the map a journey through Arunachal Pradesh
CNA938 Rewind Play In Destination Anywhere, show producer Vaisali Prabhakaran speaks with Divyakshi Gupta, travel storyteller and creator of Quirky Wanderer, about her 12-day journey through Arunachal Pradesh, one of India's most remote and mountainous states. From cloud-shrouded monasteries and centuries-old iron bridges to traditional paper-making and home-cooked meals in hidden valleys, Divyakshi shares what it's like to experience this little-known corner of the Eastern Himalayas.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Researchers stunned after uncovering creature not seen since early 1900s: 'We spent a few hours digging'
An elusive eel species was documented anew in northeastern India, according to McClatchy News. Renamed as Ophichthys hodgarti, the animal, while not unknown to locals, hadn't been identified by scientists since an 80-mile British expedition in the early 1900s through what is now the state of Arunachal Pradesh. Researchers more recently followed in the footsteps of that expedition and were able to find live specimens along the treacherous terrain of the Siang Valley. A report of their findings was published in the journal Zootaxa on May 19. "We spent a few hours digging through the mud and rocks until we found the first one," co-author Nilanjan Mukherjee told McClatchy in May. "The moment we caught it and transferred it to a container, I knew we had found the eel." Mukherjee was surprised by how much time the eel spent outside of water, including on a wet road some distance from a water source. Many such animals stick to marine environments. In their publication, the co-authors wrote, "The fact that over a century has elapsed between the description of O. hodgarti and its rediscovery serves to highlight the gaps in our knowledge … and suggests opportunities for researchers to intensify exploratory efforts to fill these gaps." Supporting research efforts to address such gaps could uncover knowledge about other unknown or lesser-known species, potentially revealing even more eclectic wildlife communities. Indeed, the region where the elusive eels were found is home to many and varied animals. Rare tigers and fish have previously been spotted in Arunachal Pradesh, perhaps a hotbed for biodiversity, which is an important pillar of thriving ecosystems. Rich ecosystems can serve all living things, including humans, in unforeseen ways. For example, researchers discovered that a species of Thai bat has been hunting destructive insects that might otherwise wreak havoc on local crops. In another instance, sea otters have been found to be protective of kelp forests by feeding on urchins that might otherwise decimate kelp. Kelp provides an important habitat for commercial fisheries and makes for a harvestable product itself. Should we be actively working to kill invasive species? Absolutely It depends on the species I don't know No — leave nature alone Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The more research we dedicate to these relationships, the more we can see the value of intact ecosystems and of protecting them. "We are more likely to conserve species if we know what we stand to lose and (to conserve) landscapes if we know what inhabits them," Mukherjee told McClatchy News about the importance of studying Ophichthys hodgarti, "and this information can only be gained through exploration and research." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
