Tackle China’s Brahmaputra dam through diplomacy, advises ex-Arunachal leader

Itanagar, May 26: Former Arunachal Pradesh Minister and APCC Working President Bosiram Siram raised serious concerns over China’s recent approval of the world’s largest dam on the Brahmaputra River in Tibet, near the Indian border in the Northeastern state.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Siram emphasized the need for India to respond with wisdom rather than adopting a “tit-for-tat” approach.

“China’s $137 billion project poses significant ecological and strategic risks to downstream countries like India and Bangladesh. However, India must address its concerns through diplomatic and international channels to avoid escalating tensions,” Siram said.

He recalled India’s efforts to harness Arunachal Pradesh’s hydropower potential, particularly under former NDA Power Minister PR Kumaramangalam, who initiated plans for the 21,000-MW Siang hydropower project in 1998. In 2013, then Congress Chief Minister Mukut Mithi supported the Centre’s plan to generate 50,000 MW of hydropower – half from Arunachal Pradesh.

Although the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) initially estimated a 48,000-MW potential in the region, a revised estimate later pegged it at 58,000 MW for Arunachal Pradesh, earning it the sobriquet “Future Power House of India.”

However, Siram cautioned against large dams, citing the ecological risks and seismic vulnerability of Arunachal Pradesh, located in Zone V, India’s highest earthquake risk zone.

“Congress supports hydropower development but advocates sustainable, medium-scale and small-scale projects that prioritize environmental and public safety,” he added.

Recalling the tragic 2000 Pasighat flash flood caused by a dam collapse in Tibet, Siram, a native of Arunachal’s oldest town, said, “I witnessed the devastation firsthand. I helped rescue 19 people with an IAF helicopter, but seven lives and countless livestock were lost. We must not forget such lessons.”

He concluded by urging the Union government to address China’s unilateral river projects on global platforms, asserting, “India today is not the India of 1962. China’s provocations, like renaming Arunachal villages, are being ridiculed globally. India must act strongly but wisely.”