New Delhi:
The powerful earthquake that struck Tibet on Tuesday took the lives of 126 people in one fell swoop. The intensity of the earthquake was estimated at 7.1 on the Richter scale. It is being told that its tremors continued to be felt even long after the earthquake occurred. This was not the first earthquake of this kind to hit the Tibet region. If we talk about the total earthquakes that occurred in this region in 2024, then around 100 such small and big tremors have been felt here in the last year. The earthquake that occurred in Tibet on Tuesday has also issued a red alert regarding China’s largest dam on the Brahmaputra river. The area where China is preparing to build this dam is said to be very sensitive from earthquake point of view. Earthquakes have been occurring continuously in this mountainous region of the Himalayas. Now in such a situation, it is a big question that what is there beneath Tibet due to which such a large number of earthquakes are occurring here.

Why do so many earthquakes occur only in this range of the Himalayas?

If we talk about the Himalayan range, in the last few years, generally more earthquakes have been felt here compared to other areas of the world. Geologists attribute the reason behind this to plate tectonic movement. He says that just below the Himalayas, the Indo-Australian plate collides with the Asian plate. Only after this collision, earthquake tremors are felt in the lowland and hilly areas adjacent to the Himalayas. Countries like India, Nepal and Tibet are situated on this Asian plate. Whenever these plates collide with each other, earthquake tremors are felt on the earth due to this effect. It is said that these plates are shifting 4 to 5 mm every year. Let us tell you that the epicenter of the earthquake is just above the place where the two plates collided with each other.

China’s insistence should not prove too heavy

The area where China wants to build the dam is just above the tectonic plates beneath the surface. In such a situation, many types of challenges may have to be faced during the construction of the dam here. This entire area is said to be very sensitive from earthquake point of view. Due to the Tibetan Plateau being situated on tectonic plates, earthquakes occur frequently. The Brahmaputra River flows through the entire Tibetan Plateau. It forms the deepest valley in the world with an extraordinary vertical drop of 25 thousand 154 feet before entering India. The place where this dam is to be built is in the area of ​​Mainland China, where it rains the most. This ensures adequate flow of Brahmaputra water. However, an official statement issued on Wednesday tried to address the environmental concerns arising from the construction of this dam. According to the statement, safety and environmental protection measures will be taken into account in this project. Attention has been given.

What are the concerns of India and Bangladesh

In the Himalayan area where China has announced to build this dam, the Brahmaputra river takes a sharp U-turn before entering Arunachal Pradesh. In such a situation, diverting the flow of water there could have adverse consequences. It can happen, especially in a season when there is no rain. In such a season, the Brahmaputra area in India and Bangladesh may have to face drought. This project was announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he visited Tibet Autonomous Region in 2021. This project is part of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan.

What will be the impact of the dam being built on Brahmaputra on India?

India has expressed concern over the construction of this dam, as it not only gives China the right to control the flow of water in the Brahmaputra River, but also fears it could be used as a weapon due to its sheer size and scale. Is. If China releases water from this dam, then Yingkiong town of Arunachal Pradesh can be completely submerged in water. Yingkiong is the constituency of former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Gegong Apang. In war-like situations, a large amount of water can be released from this dam and flood-like situations can be created in the border areas or drought can be created by blocking the water. Experts say that this project will not cause much flow on the Brahmaputra, but it may affect its water flow.