China alert: Flood threat in Arunachal, Assam areas

Guwahati: China’s discharge of more than 9,020 cumsec of waters from a dam in its upper reaches, the highest in 50 years, is threatening to submerge hundreds of villages and low-lying areas of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Saying that China had alerted the external affairs ministry that it was releasing 9,020 cumsec of water Thursday morning from river Tsangpo, equivalent to around 9.02 million litres of water per second, the deputy commissioner of Arunachal Pradesh’s East Siang district, T. Tatak, advised villagers in the catchment areas to be on high alert due to a sudden surge in the Siang’s water level. The administration has identified at least 12 villages that may be impacted.

The East Siang district administration cautioned people to stay away from the river that was thundering down at great speed. No loss of life has been reported so far.

Experts say the maximum damage is expected when it will reach the plains of the Brahmaputra valley. This released water is expected to reach the plains of Assam around Passighat with full force Thursday night, which may cause floods in Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts.

The district administrations have alerted villagers, and urged them to move to safer locations in Assam too.

Dhemaji deputy commissioner Roshni Apranji Korati told reporters they had already alerted the villagers in the flood-prone areas. “Besides monitoring the water level at various places in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, we have already called the NDRF and SDRF for any eventuality,” she added.

This is the first time China issued an advance alert to the external affairs ministry on an impending water release as heavy rains reported in the upper Tsangpo in Tibet. In a circular, Tamiyo Tatak, deputy commissioner of East Siang, said as per a report received from the Chinese government, due to heavy rainfall, the Tsangpo river was swelling with an “observed discharge of 9,020 cumec” (equivalent to around 9.02 million litres of water per second) as of Wednesday at 8 am. This is stated to be the highest discharge in the river in 50 years.

People living in low-lying areas on the right bank and left bank of the Siang river, including Jarku, Paglek, SS Mission, Jarkong, Banskota, Berung, Sigar, Borguli, Seram, Kongkul, Namsing and Mer, have been advised to remain alert. Despite the alert, the government said there was no need to panic.

The Tsangpo river originates from China and is called Siang once it enters India through Upper Siang district, which then joins two other rivers, Lohit and Dibang, to form the Brahmaputra.

It is significant that due to heavy floods and unusual high tides in the Siang river, large-scale soil erosion is taking place in the left bank of the Siang river toward Lower Mebo under Mebo subdivision, at Pasighat in East Siang district.