Upper Siang district, Arunachal Pradesh, India. | Government of Arunachal Pradesh
This article is the third in the three-part series by Pradeep Kumar Saxena and Teerath Singh Mehra, who discuss India-China relations through the lens of water management. They argue that the construction of the Upper Siang Project Multipurpose Storage Project (USMSP) represents the most strategic approach to managing potential floodwaters released by China while ensuring water availability during drought periods.
This infrastructure would stabilise the Siang/Brahmaputra water flow, creating a buffer system that protects downstream communities from both flood and drought risks. By implementing these reservoirs with advanced monitoring systems and international cooperation frameworks, the solution would provide water security, enhance agricultural productivity and support ecological sustainability across the entire basin. This balanced approach safeguards the economic interests and well-being of all communities in the affected regions while fostering responsible trans-boundary water management between India, China and Bangladesh.
The proposed Upper Siang Multipurpose Storage Project (USMSP) offers comprehensive benefits while addressing potential upstream developments. The USMSP would be situated on the Siang River in Arunachal Pradesh, featuring about 300-meter-high dam creating a substantial reservoir spanning 14,900 hectares. This infrastructure would provide 9.2 BCM of live storage capacity alongside an installed power generation capacity of 10,000 MW, producing approximately 48,000 MU annually. The resulting 110 km waterway would serve multiple purposes beyond water storage.
Strategic Benefits
a) Water Security
The project would effectively mitigate potential Chinese water diversion impacts during the critical lean season from October to April. Analysis indicates that without the USMSP, flows at the India-Bangladesh border would likely reduce by approximately 11 per cent to 26 per cent, whereas with the project, this reduction would be limited to just 6 per cent to 12 per cent. The reservoir would maintain minimum ecological flows essential for ecosystem health while ensuring consistent water availability for downstream communities throughout the year.
b) Energy Generation
The 10,000 MW clean hydroelectric power capacity represents a significant contribution to India's renewable energy portfolio. This reliable baseload power would enhance grid stabilization across the region. Under established power-sharing arrangements, Arunachal Pradesh would receive 12 per cent free power allocation plus an additional 1 per cent dedicated specifically for Local Area Development initiatives, creating substantial economic benefits for the state.
Representative image. | NDTV.
c) Flood Management
The USMSP would serve as a critical buffer against monsoon floods throughout the Brahmaputra valley. The reservoir's storage capacity would mitigate flash floods and Glacial Lake Outburst Floods originating from Tibet. This flood protection extends to critical ecological areas, including Kaziranga National Park, while helping preserve the unique biodiversity of Majuli Island. Bangladesh would also experience reduced flood impacts, demonstrating the project's trans-boundary benefits.
d) Economic Opportunities
The extensive reservoir area presents significant opportunities for fisheries development, creating sustainable livelihoods for local communities. The picturesque reservoir setting would stimulate tourism development in the region. The 110-km waterway would improve regional connectivity while providing a strategic transportation corridor, addressing both economic and security considerations.
Implementation Challenges
This solution is sustainable but not free from socio-political challenges. The project would affect approximately 10,000 people, making the community accept the primary implementation challenge. Success hinges on the implementation of a comprehensive Rehabilitation and Resettlement package that genuinely improves quality of life for affected populations.
Winning community support requires developing model villages and smart city infrastructure before displacement occurs. Authorities must implement a transparent stakeholder engagement process with continuous dialogue. Comprehensive communication materials should highlight both immediate compensation and long-term benefits. Equitable distribution of project benefits must extend beyond initial resettlement to include ongoing participation in economic opportunities.
To push this initiative, 100 per cent Central funding for surveys, investigations, studies, visits, among others related to the project and Viability Gap Funding for the project may be needed. This complex undertaking necessitates a well-coordinated joint Union-State mechanism to address challenges consistently.
Conclusion
For trans-boundary rivers flowing through multiple countries, collaborative planning and management of water resources is imperative among co-riparian states. This necessity is particularly evident in the Brahmaputra basin, where upstream development significantly impacts downstream nations. Both India and Bangladesh have the option to pursue international mediation to resolve water-sharing disputes. However, effectiveness remains limited because none of the Brahmaputra basin riparian countries have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses (2014). This absence of legal framework means mediation outcomes lack enforceability mechanisms.
International cooperation on water resources provides critical advantages for flood management and diplomatic relations. India must maintain sustained engagement with China regarding trans-border river issues to protect its national interests. Collaboration and transparency are crucial to avoiding long-term conflict and ensuring sustainable management of shared water resources. This highlights the urgent need for both India and Bangladesh to engage bilaterally with China to establish an agreement that would create equitable water-sharing principles, implement joint monitoring mechanisms, develop early warning systems for floods and droughts, promote integrated watershed management and ensure sustainable river governance benefiting all riparian states.
Regarding flood data, India's primary concern lies in the 320-km stretch between Nuxia (the last Chinese hydrological station providing flood-period data) and Tuting (the first Indian hydrological station). The region experiences high monsoonal precipitation with significant risk of landslides and avalanches that could trigger flash floods but this segment lacks crucial monitoring data.
Comprehensive hydrological data sharing between countries enables advanced flood forecasting, giving authorities sufficient lead time to implement proactive measures. This early warning capability allows central and state agencies to coordinate mitigation strategies and deploy relief resources more effectively before flooding occurs, ultimately saving lives and reducing property damage. Such cooperation measures maintain open diplomatic relations and foster goodwill between neighboring countries, often extending into broader economic partnerships as seen in mechanisms like the India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED).
The immediate focus for India should be the Upper Siang Multipurpose Storage Project (USMSP). The strategic importance of this project for national water security necessitates timely action. Further delays could compromise India's position regarding transboundary water management in the Brahmaputra basin. The window for establishing robust water management infrastructure is narrowing, making USMSP an urgent priority for India's long-term water security strategy.
(Exclusive to NatStrat)
