An India-Pakistan water war is bubbling over the Indus waters. Former Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has threatened India days after it formally suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, following the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Earlier, Union Minister of Jal Shakti CR Paatil said that the government is taking measure to not let even "a drop of water" go to Pakistan. Paatil said that the Centre has drawn up a comprehensive plan to stop Indian river water from flowing into Pakistan. The government is working on short-term, medium-term, and long-term measures so that not even a drop of water goes to Pakistan," Paatil said.
Notably, Pakistan has said that any diversion by India of water going to Pakistan will be considered an "act of war". Experts say India and Pakistan are heading into dangerous territory as the possibility of a war breaking out between the two countries becomes real.
Away from the Indus river basin where India and Pakistan are clashing over water, a "water bomb" is being built which can pose a serious threat to India on its eastern border.
China building world's largest dam on Brahmaputra
China is constructing the world's largest dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo — the Tibetan name for the Brahmaputra river — in Tibet near the Indian border. Estimated to cost $137 billion, the mega infrastructure project has raised alarm in downstream countries, India and Bangladesh, over potential impacts on water flow and regional stability. The project's total investment will exceed any other infrastructure project globally, including China's Three Gorges Dam, currently considered the world's largest.
Speculation around the project swirled in December last year, when state-owned Xinhua News Agency reported that the Chinese government approved the construction of “a hydropower project” in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo. The government hasn’t revealed many details about the project, including its size or timeframe. It has only said it would be safe and wouldn’t haven’t adverse impacts on the environment or downstream neighbors.
Last month, China's National Development and Reform Commission said in its annual report that China will undertake the construction of a dam on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, and a power transmission project from Tibet to the Hong Kong area.
China's "water bomb" aimed at India
India has raised concerns over the dam, as it not only empowers China to control the river’s water flow but also poses the risk of flooding border areas by releasing large volumes of water during potential hostilities due to its sheer size and scale, news agency PTI reported. India is also constructing its own dam on the Siang River, as Brahmaputra is called in Arunachal Pradesh, the Upper Siang Multipurpose Project.
Last month, Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein said that if the China build the massive Dam over Yarlung Tsangpo river and divert its water, it will dry up the Siang river and its distributaries affecting the aquatic life of the river and the large population in the plains of Assam and Bangladesh which depends on Brahmaputra river for the irrigation of their agricultural fields. On the other hand, in case, if any conflict arises between the two nations in future, it may release a large volume of water from the dam, which would cause unpredicted flooding in the downstream areas in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam causing loss of lives and properties.
Early this month, BJP MP from Arunachal East, Tapir Gao, described China's planned dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo as a "water bomb" that China could unleash against India and other downstream nations. "We have two options — raise our voice, though Xi Jinping will not listen; or build an alternative large dam to counter the Chinese water bomb," Gao said.
"China isn't merely building dams; it's creating ‘water bombs'. The devastation such actions can cause was evident in 2000 when floods triggered by a massive water release washed away nearly all the bridges on the Siang river, as the Yarlung Tsangpo is called in Arunachal Pradesh. Pasighat airport was submerged under 7 feet of water at the time," Gao said.
Gao backed a proposal to build a dam on the Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh to mitigate downstream disasters. "Experts informed me the dam could have a 25-metre buffer level extending up to 15km, capable of retaining substantial water during sudden releases and averting disaster. Public consultations are ongoing regarding the proposed dam," he said.
China assuages Indian concerns
China in January said that the dam over the Brahmaputra river would not have any negative impact on India and Bangladesh. This came after New Delhi registered its protest over the proposed project. China's construction of the hydropower project has gone through rigorous scientific verification and will not have any negative impact on the ecological environment, geology and water resources of the downstream countries, Chinese foreign ministry's spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a media briefing. Further, he said that it would, to some extent, contribute to downstream disaster prevention, mitigation, and climate change response. This was in response to a question about India’s concerns regarding the dam, which were discussed during talks between Indian officials and the visiting then US national security advisor, Jake Sullivan.
"We have seen the information released by Xinhua on 25 December 2024 regarding a hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. As a lower riparian state with established user rights to the waters of the river, we have consistently expressed, through expert-level and diplomatic channels, our views and concerns to the Chinese side over mega projects on rivers in their territory. These concerns have been reiterated, along with the need for transparency and consultation with downstream countries, following the latest report,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said.
"The Chinese side has been urged to ensure that the interests of downstream states of the Brahmaputra are not harmed by activities in upstream areas. We will continue to monitor and take necessary measures to protect our interests," Jaiswal added.
When China gave a 'dam' scare to India
In 2016, as Indian Army conducted retaliatory surgical strikes on terror launch-pads in PoK after terror strike on an army camp in Uri in J&K, India also decided to suspend the meeting of the Indus Water Commission and explore ways to use its share of water of rivers flowing into Pakistan, besides hinting that it could revive construction of the Tulbul project in Jammu & Kashmir.
“Blood and water cannot flow simultaneously,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi told a meeting where the decisions designed to make Pakistan pay for the terrorist attack on the Uri Army camp were taken.
Days later, China announced that it had blocked a tributary of the Brahmaputra to facilitate work on one of its hydropower projects in Tibet. Many suspected China's move was in response to India's aggressive stance on the Indus Water Commission.
China doesn’t have a pact with any of the lower riparians. India and China did sign an MoU in 2013 but Indian officials said Beijing has not always been open about sharing hydrological data.
(With inputs from agencies)
Notably, Pakistan has said that any diversion by India of water going to Pakistan will be considered an "act of war". Experts say India and Pakistan are heading into dangerous territory as the possibility of a war breaking out between the two countries becomes real.
Away from the Indus river basin where India and Pakistan are clashing over water, a "water bomb" is being built which can pose a serious threat to India on its eastern border.
China building world's largest dam on Brahmaputra
China is constructing the world's largest dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo — the Tibetan name for the Brahmaputra river — in Tibet near the Indian border. Estimated to cost $137 billion, the mega infrastructure project has raised alarm in downstream countries, India and Bangladesh, over potential impacts on water flow and regional stability. The project's total investment will exceed any other infrastructure project globally, including China's Three Gorges Dam, currently considered the world's largest.
Speculation around the project swirled in December last year, when state-owned Xinhua News Agency reported that the Chinese government approved the construction of “a hydropower project” in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo. The government hasn’t revealed many details about the project, including its size or timeframe. It has only said it would be safe and wouldn’t haven’t adverse impacts on the environment or downstream neighbors.
Last month, China's National Development and Reform Commission said in its annual report that China will undertake the construction of a dam on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, and a power transmission project from Tibet to the Hong Kong area.
China's "water bomb" aimed at India
India has raised concerns over the dam, as it not only empowers China to control the river’s water flow but also poses the risk of flooding border areas by releasing large volumes of water during potential hostilities due to its sheer size and scale, news agency PTI reported. India is also constructing its own dam on the Siang River, as Brahmaputra is called in Arunachal Pradesh, the Upper Siang Multipurpose Project.
Last month, Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein said that if the China build the massive Dam over Yarlung Tsangpo river and divert its water, it will dry up the Siang river and its distributaries affecting the aquatic life of the river and the large population in the plains of Assam and Bangladesh which depends on Brahmaputra river for the irrigation of their agricultural fields. On the other hand, in case, if any conflict arises between the two nations in future, it may release a large volume of water from the dam, which would cause unpredicted flooding in the downstream areas in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam causing loss of lives and properties.
Early this month, BJP MP from Arunachal East, Tapir Gao, described China's planned dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo as a "water bomb" that China could unleash against India and other downstream nations. "We have two options — raise our voice, though Xi Jinping will not listen; or build an alternative large dam to counter the Chinese water bomb," Gao said.
"China isn't merely building dams; it's creating ‘water bombs'. The devastation such actions can cause was evident in 2000 when floods triggered by a massive water release washed away nearly all the bridges on the Siang river, as the Yarlung Tsangpo is called in Arunachal Pradesh. Pasighat airport was submerged under 7 feet of water at the time," Gao said.
Gao backed a proposal to build a dam on the Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh to mitigate downstream disasters. "Experts informed me the dam could have a 25-metre buffer level extending up to 15km, capable of retaining substantial water during sudden releases and averting disaster. Public consultations are ongoing regarding the proposed dam," he said.
China assuages Indian concerns
China in January said that the dam over the Brahmaputra river would not have any negative impact on India and Bangladesh. This came after New Delhi registered its protest over the proposed project. China's construction of the hydropower project has gone through rigorous scientific verification and will not have any negative impact on the ecological environment, geology and water resources of the downstream countries, Chinese foreign ministry's spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a media briefing. Further, he said that it would, to some extent, contribute to downstream disaster prevention, mitigation, and climate change response. This was in response to a question about India’s concerns regarding the dam, which were discussed during talks between Indian officials and the visiting then US national security advisor, Jake Sullivan.
"We have seen the information released by Xinhua on 25 December 2024 regarding a hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. As a lower riparian state with established user rights to the waters of the river, we have consistently expressed, through expert-level and diplomatic channels, our views and concerns to the Chinese side over mega projects on rivers in their territory. These concerns have been reiterated, along with the need for transparency and consultation with downstream countries, following the latest report,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said.
"The Chinese side has been urged to ensure that the interests of downstream states of the Brahmaputra are not harmed by activities in upstream areas. We will continue to monitor and take necessary measures to protect our interests," Jaiswal added.
When China gave a 'dam' scare to India
In 2016, as Indian Army conducted retaliatory surgical strikes on terror launch-pads in PoK after terror strike on an army camp in Uri in J&K, India also decided to suspend the meeting of the Indus Water Commission and explore ways to use its share of water of rivers flowing into Pakistan, besides hinting that it could revive construction of the Tulbul project in Jammu & Kashmir.
“Blood and water cannot flow simultaneously,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi told a meeting where the decisions designed to make Pakistan pay for the terrorist attack on the Uri Army camp were taken.
Days later, China announced that it had blocked a tributary of the Brahmaputra to facilitate work on one of its hydropower projects in Tibet. Many suspected China's move was in response to India's aggressive stance on the Indus Water Commission.
China doesn’t have a pact with any of the lower riparians. India and China did sign an MoU in 2013 but Indian officials said Beijing has not always been open about sharing hydrological data.
(With inputs from agencies)
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