India Protests China’s New Counties in Ladakh and Mega Dam on Yarlung Tsangpo

India Protests China’s New Counties in Ladakh and Mega Dam on Yarlung Tsangpo

Sub : IR

Sec: Places in news

Why in News

• India has lodged a formal protest with China over the establishment of two new counties in Hotan Prefecture, which include parts of Ladakh under illegal Chinese occupation. Additionally, India has raised concerns regarding China’s announcement of a mega dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo river, which could affect downstream states in India.

Territorial Dispute: The Aksai Chin region, part of Ladakh, has been under Chinese control since the 1962 war. It remains a contentious point in India-China relations.

New Counties in Ladakh:

• China has created two new counties, He’an County and Hekang County, in the Hotan Prefecture, which overlaps with Aksai Chin, a region claimed by India but under Chinese control.
• India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) emphasized that it has “never accepted” China’s illegal occupation of Indian territory.

Hotan Prefecture:

• Hotan Prefecture is a significant administrative division in the southern part of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China.
• Lies along the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau and the southern rim of the Tarim Basin.
• Shares borders with the disputed region of Aksai Chin, under Chinese control but claimed by India.
• Includes vast desert areas, notably the Taklamakan Desert, and mountainous regions.
• The Hotan River (formed by the Yurungkash and Karakash rivers) is a prominent water source, though seasonal.
• Hotan was a critical hub on the ancient Silk Road, facilitating trade between China, Central Asia, and beyond.
• The majority population comprises Uyghurs, along with Han Chinese and other ethnic groups.
• Includes several counties like Hotan, Pishan, and now the newly established He’an County and Hekang County.
• The prefecture is strategically located near the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the de facto border between India and China.
• China National Highway 219 (G219) passes through Hotan and Aksai Chin, connecting Xinjiang to Tibet. This highway is a crucial military and logistical route.
• Jade Production: Renowned for its Hotan jade, considered one of the finest in the world.
• He’an County: Situated in the southwestern part of Xinjiang, He’an County lies within Hotan Prefecture. It is the southernmost county-level division of Xinjiang and administers part of the disputed Aksai Chin region.
• Hekang County: Also part of Hotan Prefecture in southwestern Xinjiang, Hekang County administers a portion of the Aksai Chin region.

China’s Mega Dam on Yarlung Tsangpo:

• China announced plans to construct a mega hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo river, known as the Brahmaputra in India.
• The dam, located in the deep gorges of the eastern Himalayas, is set to surpass the scale of the Three Gorges Dam, making it the largest infrastructure project globally.
• India, as a lower riparian state, fears potential harm to water flow and downstream ecology in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

Brahmaputra River:

• Brahmaputra river system is one of the largest rivers in the world. In the Tibet region, it is known by the name of Yarlung Tsangpo.
• It enters by the names of Siang and Dihang in India. And after it is joined by its two main tributaries, the Dibang and the Lohit, it is known by the name of Brahmaputra.
• In Tibet, it runs parallel to the Himalayas for about 1,200 km. It turns into the south and creates a deep gorge through the Himalayas near Namcha Barwa and enters India under the name of the Dihang.
• It flows in Bangladesh by the name of Jumna. Finally, it merges with the Ganga river.
• The world’s largest riverine island, Majuli Island is on the Brahmaputra River in the state of Assam. Important cities along Brahmaputra are Dibrugarh, Pasighat, Neamati, Tezpur and Guwahati.
• The Brahmaputra River rises from Chemayundung glacier of the Kailash range near the Mansarovar Lake to the north of the Himalayas in the southwest Tibet region.
• The Brahmaputra drains into the Bay of Bengal before forming a huge delta along with the Ganga.