Dhaka trying to collect data on reportedly China hydropower schemes

Weekly media briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dhaka on Thursday.

Dhaka, August 17 - Bangladesh is trying to collect adequate data on the construction of eight hydro power projects reportedly by China in the upstream of the Brahmaputra River.

"We are trying to collect adequate information about this," Seheli Sabrin, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters at a weekly briefing at the ministry on Thursday.

She said no discussion on signing any agreement on water with China has begun yet. 

According to a report published by Sri Lanka-based Daily Mirror newspaper on August 14, China has built about eight hydroelectric power projects (HPPs) on the lower reaches of Yarlung Tsangpo (while some are already operational, some are under construction and one mega dam is proposed), namely Bayu, Dagu, Jiexu, Zangmu, Jiacha, Lengda, Zhongda and Langzhen. 

The 9th proposed 60 GW Hydro Power Project could be built at the Great Bend (Namcha Barwa) in Motuo (Medog) County of Linzhi (Nyingchi) Prefecture, Tibet as per Beijing’s 14th Five Year Plan (2021-2025), it said. 

The report said being the most riparian country in South-Asia, Bangladesh is highly dependent transboundary rivers and may face consequences in the future. - UNB