China will continue with good communication to avoid negotiations with the lower Riparian states on the proposed major hydrology project

China on Thursday sought to reduce plans to build a large dam near the Line of Actual Control (LIC) in the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra River in Tibet, saying “there is no need to worry about this project.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Beijing will have “good communication” with India and Bangladesh’s Lower Riparian states on hydrological information, flood prevention and disaster mitigation and contingency management. However, there is no word on when China will discuss with the Lower Riparian countries the proposed dam near LIC in Tibet.

Experts say this is a significant development from India’s point of view, as the dam around the so-called “great bend” will be built near the LAC, where the Brahmaputra will be sloping to the south before entering India and where the river will receive considerable water. Water flow checking or diversion can be used to induce flash flooding or to create water scarcity in low riparian states along with environmental impact. The 3800 km long river also known as the Yarlung Jangbo (Sangpo) in China flows from Tibet into the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh via Assam to Bangladesh and has several tributaries and distributors.

Another major reservation for lower countries such as India and Bangladesh is the lack of transparency in the sharing of all hydrological data despite the MoUs (after the Doklam standoff). At least 11 hydropower projects along the Brahmaputra River have been built or planned by China in the last decade. For the first time, when the Jangmu Dam began operations in 2014, there were concerns about the lack of data sharing on the construction of the dam.