What China is doing on their Tibet site will be devastating for entire Northeast: BJP MP Tapir Gao

Guwahati (Assam) [India], April 8 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Arunachal Pradesh Tapir Gao expressed concern over China's domination in Tibet and said that what China is doing on its Tibet site will be devastating for the entire Northeast, not only Assam, Arunachal Pradesh or Bangladesh.
Tapir Gao said, "China has already taken the decision to construct a 9,500 metre high dam in the great bend of Yarlung Tsangpo river. They have already verified and started constructing the dams. Not only that, they are also planning to divert the water to their Yellow River. The impact of this dam will be measured not only in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, but the entire Northeast will have its impact because if the water is diverted, then the Brahmaputra will dry up, and the environment will have a very bad impact on it. We need to take up this issue in international forums and diplomatic forums. The major issue is that China and India don't have any kind of water treaty. What China is doing on their Tibet site will be devastating for the entire Northeast, not only Assam, Arunachal Pradesh or Bangladesh."
Tapir Gao raised serious concerns over China's proposed construction of the "Great Bend Dam" on the Yarlung Tsangpo River, warning that the dam's impact will severely affect the downstream regions of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and the broader Northeast.
The BJP MP was speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the International Seminar on Ensuring Water Security, Ecological Integrity, and Disaster Resilience in the Sub-Himalayan Region being held in Guwahati.
Gao highlighted that China has already initiated the construction of a 9.5-kilometer-long, 9,500-meter-high dam as part of its ongoing water diversion plan, which aims to reroute water to the Yellow River.
Gao stressed that the project, if completed, could drastically reduce the water flow of the Brahmaputra River, potentially causing ecological imbalances, drying up the river, and damaging vital aquatic species.
The local population could also face significant consequences due to water scarcity.
"China has already made the decision to construct a 9500-height dam, which is 9 and a half kilometers high in the great bank of Yarlung Tsangpo river, in the financial year. They have started constructing the dams, and not only that, they are planning to divert the water to their Yellow River. The impact of this will be measured not only in Assam and Arunachal but the entire Northeast region. This is because if the water is diverted, then the Brahmaputra will dry up, the minimum water content in the river----the environment will have a bad impact. This includes ecological imbalances, as well as damage to the fish species as well and people will also be affected."
He emphasised the urgent need to address this issue at international forums, pointing out that India and China currently lack a water-sharing treaty, which remains a major obstacle in preventing China's actions in Tibet from having far-reaching consequences for India's northeastern states.
"We have an opportunity to take this issue on all aspects at the international forum. The major issue is that China and India don't have any kind of water-sharing treaty. That is the major setback and obstacle to obstructing what China is doing in Tibet; it will be devastating and have a vast impact on the entire Northeast region," said Gao.
BJP MP Tapir Gao criticised China's aggressive stance regarding water management, highlighting the risks posed by its unilateral decisions.Gao emphasised that China's water projects should not be seen merely as initiatives for power or water generation, but as potential "water bombs" that could cause unpredictable devastation.
Recalling the catastrophic incident in 2000, when China released a massive volume of water, resulting in the severe flooding of the Siang River, Gao pointed out the loss of human lives, animals, and land.
He warned that China can make similar decisions at any time, with potentially disastrous consequences for downstream regions.
"In the parliament earlier, I had said that we should not consider them only to generate water or power generation. It is a water bomb, cause you can't predict the policy of China. In the year 2000, they released a huge volume of water, and a huge devastation of the Siang River took place. There was human, animal, and land loss. China can make decisions anytime, such as that water bomb," he said. (ANI)