CHINESE WATER

DIVERSION PLAN
(YARLUNG TSANGPO PROJECT)

NOUMAN KALEEM
 PLAN OF PRESENTATION
INTRODUCTION
RATIONALE FOR THE PROJECT
PEACEFUL NUCLEAR EXPLOSION
IMPLICATION FOR INDIA & BANGLADESH
INDIAN INTER-RIVER LINKING PLAN
RECOMMENDATIONS
 CONCLUSION

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 INRODUCTION
The Project was first reported in Scientific American
Journal in June 1996.
Diversion of the waters of the Yarlung Tsangpo
River, which will be pumped northward upto 800
km, to China’s northwestern provinces & the arid
area of Gobi Desert.
The Engineers concluded that such a feat would be
impossible with conventional method.
 They recommended that this project can be
accomplished with nuclear explosives.
The construction of this multi-billion dollar project is
schedule to begin in 2009.

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 RATIONALE FOR THE
PROJECT
Two of the most acute shortage problem

China faces today are food and water.
 Two third of 600 Chinese cities are facing
shortage of water, out of which 110 cities have
acute water shortage.
The Tibetan plateau is the principal watershed
in Asia and the source of 10 major rivers,
including Yarlung the Sutlej and the Indus.

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5
 PEACEFUL NUCLEAR
China
EXPLOSION
has to use nuclear materials in order to
blast the proposed 15 km tunnel to divert the River
water’s direction in Himalayan terrain.
Some of the effects of blasting by China are;
 Nuclear contamination of what little quantity of water
is allowed to flow into India.
 Possible ill-effects of radiation and blast-related
sickness among the people of Tibet and north-eastern
states of India.
 Possibility of earthquakes because of blasting.

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 INDIAN INTER-RIVER
LINKING PLAN
India has also a plan of diverting
Brahmputra and Gangas.
37 rivers through more than 600
canals will be linked by 2012.
The normal course of the rivers would
be changed.
This Indian project will only be yet
another ‘death trap’ for Bangladesh.
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 IMPLICATIONS FOR INDIA,
BANGLADESH & PAKISTAN
Inter-river linking plans of both the countries are
parallel in many ways.
Indian plan is death trap for Pakistan.
India and Bangladesh would be dependent on
China for adequate release of water & Pakistan
would be dependent on India.
It does raise questions about the rights of upper
and lower riparian states; this is of concern to
Pakistan.

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 RECOMMENDATIONS
Indus Water Commission of Pakistan
may be asked to carry out
comprehensive study.
Long term, river diversions are not in
the interest of lower riparian states
like Pakistan.
Priority must be given to construct
dams for the storage of water.
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 CONCLUSION
The construction of Chinese project will
disturb the free flow of water to India and
Bangladesh.
Pakistan and India have failed to solve
their water disputes and the emergence
of Indian plan cannot be neglected.
If India fails to prevent China it may start
its own plan which includes Indus River
flowing to Pakistan.
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