China stepped-up for its "iron brother" Pakistan by blocking a tributary of the Brahmaputra River flowing into India from China a scant week after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his government will review the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan.
China's blocking a tributary of the Yarlung Tsangpo River is tantamount to launching a "water war" against India. The Yarlung Tsangpo is the longest river in Tibet and is the upper stream of the Brahmaputra River.
China's action follows Modi's vow to isolate Pakistan internationally in the wake of the deadly attack on an Indian Army base in Indian-administered Kashmir, a Muslim majority region, which killed 18 jawans on Sept. 18.
Ratified by both countries in 1960, the Indus Waters Treaty gives India and Pakistan control over three rivers flowing within their territories. Control over the three "eastern" rivers -- the Beas, the Ravi and the Sutlej -- went to India. Control over the three "western" rivers -- the Indus, the Chenab and the Jhelum - went to Pakistan.
Pakistan, however, has always complained that since the source of rivers of the Indus basin are in India, India might block these western rivers, potentially creating droughts and famines in Pakistan, especially at times of war or rising tensions, as are evident today.
China's excuse for blocking a tributary of the Yarlung Tsangpo River that flows into India on Sept. 30 is to complete the Lalho project on the Xiabuqu River in Xigaze, its most expensive hydro power project worth $740 million.
The project, which began in 2014, is scheduled for completion in 2019. It will provide irrigation, flood control and power generation. The dam's reservoir can store up to 295 million cubic meters of water and help irrigate 30,000 hectares of farmland.
The project will have two power stations with a combined generation capacity of 42 megawatts. They are designed to generate 85 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.
Unfortunately from India, the Brahamaputra originates in China (Yarlung Tsangpo) and flows through India and Bangladesh. And also unfortunate for India is that China is completely aware of the Brahmaputra's importance to India.
Upstream dams, barrages and other water infrastructure can transform water into a political weapon that can be wielded overtly in a war, or subtly in peacetime to signal dissatisfaction with a state that shares a water source, said one study.
A military analysis of the water resource competition among India, Pakistan and China said China views India's "actual control" over Arunachal Pradesh can be strengthened through dam-building activities. Beijing continues to claim Arunachal Pradesh is part of Tibet.
Blocking the Brahmaputra, said some analysts, is China's way of reminding India it still claims ownership of Arunachal Pradesh and is prepared to wage a water war to seize it.