- India plans to move 76 GW of hydro capacity from the Brahmaputra basin by 2047 to meet rising power demand
- The plan includes 208 hydro projects across 12 sub-basins in northeastern states
- The basin's proximity to China makes water management and infrastructure planning a strategic concern
India's power planning authority has drawn up a Rs 6.4 trillion ($77 billion) transmission plan to move more than 76 gigawatts of hydroelectric capacity from the Brahmaputra basin by 2047 to meet rising electricity demand, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) said on Monday.
In a report released on Monday, the CEA said the plan covers 208 large hydro projects across 12 sub‑basins in the northeastern states, with 64.9 GW of potential capacity and an additional 11.1 GW from pumped‑storage plants.
The Brahmaputra River, which rises in Tibet, China, and flows through India and Bangladesh, holds significant hydro potential in its Indian stretch, particularly in Arunachal Pradesh on the China border.
The basin's transboundary nature and proximity to China make water management and infrastructure planning a strategic concern, amid India's fears that a Chinese dam on the Yarlung Zangbo, the river's upper course before it enters India, could cut dry‑season flows on the Indian side by up to 85 per cent.
The Brahmaputra basin spans parts of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland and West Bengal, and holds more than 80 per cent of India's untapped hydro potential, the report said, with Arunachal Pradesh alone accounting for 52.2 GW.
Phase one of the plan, running to 2035, will require Rs 1.91 trillion, while phase two will cost Rs 4.52 trillion, according to the CEA.
The CEA's plan also includes projects allocated to central public sector utilities such as NHPC, NEEPCO, and SJVN, with some projects already in the pipeline.
India aims to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels by having 500 GW of non-fossil power generation capacity by 2030 and becoming net zero by 2070.
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