ITANAGAR, Sep 6: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday told the Assembly that the Government of India has proposed to construct a large barrage on Siang river to ‘save’ it from potential hazards posed by a mega Chinese dam being built in Tibet region bordering Arunachal Pradesh.
Responding to a ‘zero hour’ discussion initiated by Congress member Lombo Tayeng, the Chief Minister said, “As per the 14th Five-Year Plan of the Chinese Government, the neighbouring country decided to build around 60,000 MW Dam project in Tibet region (from where the Siang river originates).
Considering that, the Central Government has raised concerns on if the China dam project commissions what will be the position of Siang river. If they divert the water flow, dimension of the Siang will be reduced or if water comes in large volumes, it will create massive flood in Siang valley and downstream areas in neighbouring Assam and Bangladesh,” he said.
To deal with the imminent threats, lot of discussions were held at Govt of India level and with the Brahmaputra Board, he said. “In case of diversion (of water flow by China), we will have to keep Siang ‘alive’ or in case release of excessive water, we need to have big structures to protect ourselves from floods. Keeping that in mind, we should work with a long-term vision,” Khandu said.
While informing that survey and investigation work for the proposed barrage has been blocked at few locations by villagers, the Chief Minister said he will personally visit the Siang valley tomorrow and will request the villagers to cooperate and allow the survey and investigation work.
“Once it is completed, Government of India can only give us a clear picture on the matter,” Khandu said, adding that “it (China dam threat) being a serious matter, I would like to appeal to all the Members from the Siang belt to seriously ponder over it.”
Addressing the concerns raised on Siang floods by the Mebo MLA, who pitched for declaring the Siang flood and erosion as ‘national calamities’, the Chief Minister told the House: “There is no provision to declare a natural calamity as a national calamity. The existing guidelines of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) do not contemplate declaring a disaster as a national calamity. Also, there is no mention of national calamity in Disaster Management Act. 2005.”
He said, in case of any major disaster the Inter-Ministerial Central Team visits the affected areas, and on the basis of their report, the NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) allocates additional fund to the state from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
In the context of floods in Mebo sub-division, an inter-ministerial central team visited the affected area in the year 2020, said the CM, who also accompanied the team along with state’s disaster management officials. Subsequently, the state government submitted a memorandum to the MHA for relief and restoration works amounting to a little above Rs 792.71 crore, but the Central Government allocated only Rs 59.34 crore from NDRF for various relief and restoration works.
Since the fund released was “not sufficient and area-specific”, Khandu said that the State Government, according priority to ‘Siang’, released Rs 35 crore and works were also completed but the same got destroyed due to floods in the Siang river.
“We are in constant touch with the Govt of India, and we will also try our level best to address the Siang flood,” the CM assured the House.
Earlier, initiating the discussion, Tayeng said that the constant and massive land erosion of Siang river flood water is a great concern. “The river course is frequently changing, causing massive land erosion to the tune of few lakhs hectors of cultivated and fertile cultivable land, other properties like buildings, houses and plantations are eroded away at Mebo sub-division of East Siang district.
The area of D Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary is also reduced considerably due to constant bank erosion. The people of Mebo sub-division in particular are rendered homeless and landless, and the other Govt establishments too,” he said and requested the State Govt to take up this issue with Govt of India to declare the Siang flood and erosion problem as a national calamity at the earliest.
“Since there is possible involvement of Chinese Govt in blocking, diverting, ponding, dumping of construction debris and releasing of water unwarrantedly at upstream at their territory, as the nature and behaviour of the water is unpredictable during lean winter season”, he said, “If it is not declared as national calamities and adequate measures are not taken then it may be disastrous in near future”. (UNI)