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India.com
a day ago
- Politics
- India.com
Masterstroke by Modi government, launches double strike on China, hampers Xi Jinping's plan of building world's largest dam by... India plans to...
Siang Dam: A tractor slowly climbed a muddy hill in Beging village of Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh on May 21. According to the reports, the vehicle was carrying a drilling machine and other equipment meant for a special study. This study was being conducted to explore the possibility of constructing a large dam on the Siang River. The Siang River is known as the Brahmaputra in Assam and the Yarlung Tsangpo in China. The local Adi community there is against the dam and has been protesting. Authorities, meanwhile, tried to carry out the work discreetly. They planned to begin operations in Beging village first and then transport the equipment across the river. Locals are protesting against the dam: According to an ET report, protestors marched to Beging, cut off its only link to the outside world — a hanging bridge — and damaged the drilling machines, halting the survey work. Law enforcement agencies, despite the growing protests, remained restrained and avoided confrontation in the sensitive border region. Fearing a worsening of the situation, authorities temporarily suspended the operations. Here are some of the key details: The NHPC engineers stationed at the current drilling site moved to Pasighat, the main town located on the banks of the Siang River This has brought a temporary calm to the disputed riverfront. The government remains committed to constructing the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), which is estimated to cost ₹1.5 lakh crore. The project includes a 267-meter-high dam with a storage capacity of 9.2 billion cubic meters (BCM), designed as a strategic reservoir to counter potential upstream water diversion by China. Dam Vs Dam: It is important to note that this 1,000-megawatt project offers Arunachal Pradesh 12 percent free electricity and revenue sharing. The timing coincides with Beijing laying the foundation of the world's largest dam on the Brahmaputra River. The building of the dam marks the beginning of strategic water management in the Eastern Himalayas. This raises a critical question: Will India's defensive dam strategy provide effective deterrence in this sensitive region, or will it further exacerbate environmental vulnerabilities? Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said on July 9, 'This (Chinese dam) poses an existential threat to our tribes and our livelihood. It is quite serious because China could even use it as a kind of 'water bomb'.' He made this statement just a few days before Beijing officially announced the commencement of the construction work.
Economic Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
The Great Dam Game: As China pushes ahead with a mega dam, India's counterplan sinks in local resistance
On May 21, tractors crawled up a muddy hillside road in Begging, a remote village tucked in Arunachal Pradesh's Siang district, hauling two drilling rigs and their heavy gear. This was the quiet beginning of a high-stakes plan—to initiate pre-feasibility studies for a massive dam across the Siang river, known downstream, in Assam, as the Brahmaputra and upstream, in China, as the Yarlung Parong, on the other side of the river, tensions were running high. Anti-dam protests, led by the local Adi community, were escalating. Authorities were hoping to begin work discreetly on the Begging side and to ferry one of the machines across by boat the resistance was swift and fierce. A week later, protesters descended on Begging in large numbers, severing the village's lone connection to the outside world—a fragile hanging bridge—before turning their fury on the equipment. The drilling machines were damaged beyond immediate faced with mounting unrest, the police held back, avoiding a crackdown that could inflame conflict in the frontier region. The government, wary of a confrontation, pulled the plug on the operation, albeit temporarily. Engineers of the hydropower company NHPC, who had been stationed on the proposed drilling site, quietly packed up and retreated to Pasighat, the largest town along the Siang, leaving the embattled riverbank eerily silent once the lull won't last long. The government is resolute in its push to build what it calls the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) — a massive, Rs 1,50,000 crore venture. At its heart lies a towering, 267-m-tall dam with a storage capacity of 9.2 billion cubic metres (bcm), envisioned as a strategic buffer in case China abruptly releases water upstream. The project is expected to have an installed capacity of 11,000 MW, with Arunachal Pradesh entitled to 12% of the power free of cost, along with a share in the revenue. The timing is no coincidence. Just last week, Beijing broke ground on what's set to be the world's largest dam on the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra. With that, the water chessboard of the Eastern Himalayas has officially been set in a pressing question looms: will India's counter-dam gambit act as a credible deterrent or tip the balance, deepening the ecological fault lines in an already fragile landscape?'It (the Chinese dam) is going to cause an existential threat to our tribes and our livelihoods. It is quite serious because China could even use this as a sort of 'water bomb',' Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu told PTI on July 9, just days before Beijing formally announced the commencement of construction. CM, however, did not respond to ET's queries on whether SUMP could serve as an effective countermeasure to China's mega dam — or on reports that the project's pre-feasibility study has stalled amid strong resistance from local communities. China was the first to disturb the stillness of the Eastern Himalayas along the McMahon Line. In 2020, Beijing announced the ambitious hydropower project over the Yarlung Zangbo in Tibet, incorporating it into the country's 14th Five-Year Plan. The timing was no coincidence—Indian and Chinese troops were engaged in fierce clashes in the Galwan Valley on the western New Delhi, the message was unmistakable. The spectre of a 'water bomb'—unleashed from a mega dam near the Brahmaputra's Great Bend, where the river plunges nearly 2 km— was no longer a distant possibility. It had become a pressing strategic concern. In response, India floated its own countermeasure: the SUMP, a dam on its side of the river. But while China has already broken ground— with Premier Li Qiang formally launching construction on July 19 in a high-profile ceremony in Nyingchi, also calling it the 'project of the century'—India remains stuck at the starting line. Pre-feasibility studies, bogged down by bureaucratic delays and growing grassroots resistance, have yet to take off. Beijing has also announced the formation of a new state-owned enterprise— China Yajiang Group—to oversee the construction of what is set to become the largest hydropower dam, surpassing the iconic Three Gorges Dam. According to China's state-run news agency Xinhua, the project, estimated at around 1.2 trillion yuan (approximately $167.8 billion), will feature five cascade hydropower stations and generate 300 million megawatthours (MWh) of electricity annually. In comparison, the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze river—currently the world's largest power station by installed capacity—produces just 88 million MWh per year. The new dam is expected to become operational in the 2030s. China's capital markets responded positively. As reported by Reuters on July 21, the CSI Construction & Engineering Index surged 4% to hit a seven-month high, with shares of Power Construction Corporation of China and Arcplus Group PLC both soaring to their 10% daily trading limits. While capital markets may be celebrating—driven by the lure of massive profits—the deeper concerns surrounding the project remain largely unaddressed. Should there be a dam of such staggering scale in the seismically active and fragile Himalayan belt?Equally troubling is the spectre of water diversion. If Beijing alters the flow of the Yarlung Zangbo, the ripple effects would cascade downstream, potentially disrupting livelihoods not only in Assam Valley, but all the way to Bangladesh, where the river is known as the Jamuna.'Legendary singer Bhupen Hazarika described the Brahmaputra as Mahabahu, a symbol of strength and grandeur, a mighty force that binds together communities of different hues,' says Kuladhar Saikia, former Assam DGP and Sahitya Akademi Award-winning author. Expressing concern over the possibility of the river running dry during winter once the Chinese mega dam becomes operational, he adds, 'The Brahmaputra is not just an economic lifeline — it is the main artery of our culture, tradition, language, literature and creativity.' Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has sought to downplay concerns over China's dam project. He argues that nearly 70% of the Brahmaputra's flow comes from rainfall within Indian territory — specifically Arunachal Pradesh and Assam—and Bhutan, suggesting that the river is not heavily reliant on glacial sources from across the border. In multiple interactions with the press, he has maintained that the final assessment will rest with the Centre. While it is true that the Brahmaputra is a vast and resilient river system and not dependent on a single source, the data tells a more nuanced story. According to concept papers for the SUMP, which ET has seen, 84% of the river's volume in Arunachal Pradesh during the winter months—from November to April—is fed by water originating in means, if China were to divert the upstream flow, the Brahmaputra — particularly in Upper Assam, where most major tributaries are yet to merge — could shrink to a mere stream during the winter months, jeopardising the region's ecological balance and rich this backdrop, the question becomes even more urgent: what happens when there are two dams, one each on either side of the McMahon Line? During a visit to the two villages that are the proposed SUMP sites—Parong and Dite Dime (Ugeng being the third site)—in January, this writer encountered a palpable sense of fear and resistance among the local people. 'We are not just opposing the dam, we are against any feasibility studies being conducted here,' said Tato Pabin, a resident of Parong, a village of 125 families. 'Our orange farms, which thrive in the low-lying areas along the river, will be completely wiped out.' According to an official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, Parong has emerged as the most likely location for the dam. The other two sites, Dite Dime and Ugeng—both situated further upstream—are reportedly no longer under active consideration. While the full extent of the impact will only be known after pre-feasibility studies are conducted, preliminary estimates suggest that around 59 villages could be affected. Of these, at least 15 villages may need to be relocated entirely. So far, only three villages—Pangkang, Riga and Riew—have given their consent to the project. There is yet another potential fallout. A section of the existing road that winds its way to the strategically vital Tuting Advanced Landing Ground is likely to be submerged. If the government decides to move forward with the project, one of its first tasks will be to build a brand-new road, at a significantly higher elevation, to maintain critical military and civilian connectivity in this sensitive frontier region.
News18
5 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Arunachal CM Khandu reaffirms commitment to indigenous faiths, traditions
Itanagar, Jul 24 (PTI) Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has reaffirmed the government's unwavering commitment to preserving and promoting the indigenous faiths of the state, calling them the spiritual and cultural soul of the tribal communities. In a message shared on social media on Thursday, Khandu stressed that indigenous faiths are unlike major religions as they do not originate from scriptures but from land, memory, and lived traditions. 'They are not exported, they are rooted. They hold the soul of our people, our forests, mountains, rivers, and ancestors," he wrote on X. Reiterating the government's resolve to protect this ancestral wisdom, the chief minister said a number of initiatives are already underway across the state. Six indigenous gurukuls have been established for the Adi, Galo, Nyishi, and Tangsa tribes to strengthen traditional learning and value systems through community-led institutions, Khandu said. In addition, more than 3,000 registered indigenous priests are being provided with honorariums in recognition of their vital role in conducting rituals, preserving oral traditions, and serving as spiritual guides, the chief minister added. Complementing these efforts, 50 indigenous prayer centres have also been set up across the state to provide dedicated spaces for spiritual practice rooted in native faiths, he said. 'This isn't just about culture. It's about who we are. And it's about making sure we don't forget," Khandu said, underlining that the protection of indigenous faiths is essential to safeguarding the state's unique identity and heritage. PTI UPL UPL MNB (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: July 24, 2025, 13:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
22-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
China breaks ground on $170 billion dam near Arunachal—why India is concerned, and what it plans to do
China's official announcement of the start of construction on a massive hydropower project on the Yarlung Zangbo – just before the river bends into Arunachal Pradesh as the Brahmaputra – marks a pivotal moment for both India's strategic interests and China's economic goals. With a planned investment of nearly $170 billion, it is set to be China's largest infrastructure project since the Three Gorges Dam, and a major stimulus for the domestic economy. But across the border in Arunachal Pradesh, the project has raised alarm over potential downstream impacts, with fears of the Siang region being vulnerable to a 'water bomb'. India, in response, has proposed a large storage project to counter the Chinese dam – but progress has been slow. The Chinese Premier Li Qiang on July 19 announced the launch of construction and the formation of a new entity – China Yajiang Group Co Ltd – to build and operate the hydropower project, according to state-run Xinhua. The project will comprise five cascade hydropower stations spread across a 50-kilometre stretch of the river that drops 2,000 metres, offering vast hydropower potential. With a planned capacity of 60 GW, it will be roughly three times the size of the Three Gorges Dam. While cascade projects typically include storage to regulate flow between stations, the extent of planned storage has not been revealed. Chinese markets responded positively to the announcement on Monday, with shares of major construction and equipment firms surging. Experts see the project as a major stimulus for the domestic economy. While the storage capacity of the Chinese project is not known – a key factor in assessing China's ability to regulate water flow into India – concerns are mounting in Arunachal Pradesh. Earlier this month, Chief Minister Pema Khandu warned that the dam is the biggest issue facing India, second only to the 'military threat', and could be used as a 'water bomb'. 'Suppose the dam is built and they suddenly release water, our entire Siang belt would be destroyed. In particular, the Adi tribe and similar groups… would see all their property, land, and especially human life, suffer devastating effects,' Khandu told PTI on July 9. While around 30 per cent of the Brahmaputra's waters originate in China, the majority comes from rainfall within India's catchment areas. As a result, the Chinese dam's immediate impact is expected to be felt most in Arunachal Pradesh – particularly in the Siang region. In addition to flooding concerns, the Chinese dam could also disrupt water flow to proposed downstream hydro projects. The Northeast holds nearly half of India's 133 GW hydropower potential, over 80 per cent of which remains untapped. Of the 60 GW estimated potential, about 50 GW lies in Arunachal Pradesh alone. To counter China's upstream development, India has proposed the 11.2 GW Upper Siang Multipurpose Project – a massive storage-based dam in the Siang district. The project is expected to act as a strategic buffer to regulate water flow and protect downstream populations and infrastructure. However, progress has been slow, The Indian Express had earlier reported. Three years after the Ministry of Jal Shakti tasked NHPC Ltd with preparing a pre-feasibility report, vital investigations remain stalled due to local opposition. In response to a question on delays at an Idea Exchange earlier this month, Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil said, 'China can do whatever it wants, we are fully prepared. PM Modi is quite serious about it. Work will start.' An NHPC official told The Indian Express in June that the project can act as 'a regulating scheme to mitigate adverse impact of both acts of water diversion and artificial floods by the upstream Chinese development'. Once complete, the Upper Siang project would be India's largest hydropower station.
The Hindu
19-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Adi festival begins with the hoisting of holy flag at Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple
The 'Adi Thirukalyanam' celebrations began with the hoisting of the holy flag at the famous Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple here on Saturday. The 17-day-long festival, which concludes on August 4, began with the spatikalinga puja and sayaratchai puja from 4 a.m. onwards. Special pujas were held and aarathis were taken on the occasion. The HR&CE officials said that the deity was taken in a procession with the temple elephant 'Ramalakshmi' on the lead. At around 10:30 a.m., the holy flag was hoisted at the golden 'kodimaram' at the Navasakti Mandapam. The Adi month celebration comprises Adi Ammavasai on July 24 and the car festival, Adi Tapasu and Thiruoonjal among others would be performed during the festival. A large number of devotees witnessed the flag-hoisting ceremony. The Thirukalyanam would be conducted on July 30.
