Sediment Management For The Brahmaputra River.

This research note highlights the existing issues related to the sedimentation problem in one of the largest rivers in India, i.e. the Brahmaputra River. It draws attention to various issues related to the river and how the gaps in the existing policies are causing a problem in resolving these issues promptly. The issues which are discussed in this note is, at times, highlighted by various other eminent authors who have a great understanding of the river. Further, it also casts light on the management measures taken by China to resolve a similar issue of sedimentation in their Yellow River. The idea of bringing the Yellow River into the picture was to establish a global to Indian perspective and to understand what learning we can get to resolve the issues related to the Brahmaputra River. It discusses and recommends an establishment of an effective and integrated river body system or institution which is exclusively responsible for taking care of the river in a much more effective by addressing the gaps in current policies.

1. The Brahmaputra rises from Angsi glacier in the Tibetan Himalayas and traverses almost 2900 km to the sea. 1600 km in China, 900 km in India and 400 km in Bangladesh. Avg. depth is 125 ft and avg. width is 9.5 km. It supports the lives of more than 190 million people in China, India, and Bangladesh. For India, it accounts for 30% of the total water resources and above 44% of the total hydropower potential

2. Since the Tibetan plateau is 4 to 5 km above the sea level and when river flows from such a height then it erodes a lot of loose soil and rocks along with it courtesy of high speed and it results in sedimentation. The sedimentation problem with the Brahmaputra is one of the major concerns, and it has been a cause of various roadblocks in the development of the region.