The Indian security agencies are extremely worried over the ignorance of New Delhi in strengthening its claim on river Yarlung Tsangbo (as the Brahmaputra is known in Tibet) by expediting construction of dams, reservoir or power station on the Brahmaputra river within the country.
The Centre is convinced with the assurances given by Beijing, but security agencies are worried that tomorrow if China actually goes ahead to build a dam and divert water of Brahmaputra river, it will be difficult to make a case against China because India hardly have any user rights like dams, power station established on the Brahmaputra river within the country.
Disclosing that there have been several inter-ministerial meetings to discuss the issue but nothing concrete has come out. Though, constructions of some reservoirs and power stations have been proposed in Arunachal Pradesh, but no step has been taken to execute them on the ground.
Security agencies keeping a close watch over the Sino-Indian affairs did not rule out further tension over the river Brahmaputra, which originates in Tibet and flows into India and in Arunachal Pradesh and is viewed as a lifeline of Northeast India.
Security sources pointed out that India and China do not have any bilateral treaty regulating use of water courses and neither is a party to the UN watercourses convention of 1997.
In the absence of legal instrumentation between the two countries, the only “users rights” can protect the interest of India, which is largely determined by the application of the principle of reasonable and equitable utilisation. It is significant that India does not have a single project on the mighty river to assert its claim on any internal forum.
Security sources said China is constructing “run-of-the-river” project, which does not store water today but there is no guarantee of China changing its mind and diverting Yarlung Tsangbo with rapidly rising water and power requirements in the subcontinent.