Dibang River

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Dibang river
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India Arunachal Pradesh relief map.svg
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Native name
Physical characteristics
SourceDri
  coordinates 28°46′51″N95°51′37″E / 28.7807°N 95.8603°E / 28.7807; 95.8603
2nd sourceTangon
Mouth Lohit River
  location
Sadiya, Assam
  coordinates
27°48′04″N95°31′02″E / 27.8012°N 95.5173°E / 27.8012; 95.5173
Length324 km (201 mi)
Basin size13,933 km2 (5,380 sq mi)
Discharge 
  locationKobo Chapori (into the Brahmaputra)
Basin features
River system Brahmaputra River
Tributaries 
  leftEmra, Anelih
  rightTangon, Angolin, Amli

Dibang River, also known as Sikang by the Adi and Talo in Idu, [1] is an upstream tributary river of the Brahmaputra in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. It originates and flows through the Mishmi Hills in the (Upper) Dibang Valley and Lower Dibang Valley districts. [2]

Contents

Course

Dibang river valley Dibang valley (7453899412).jpg
Dibang river valley

The Dibang originates near Keya pass on the Indo-Chinese border in the Upper Dibang Valley district of Arunachal Pradesh. The drainage basin of the river within Arunachal Pradesh covers the districts of Upper Dibang Valley and Lower Dibang Valley. [3] The Mishmi Hills lie in the upper course of the Dibang which enters the plains at Bomjir, Dambuk etc.

Between Bomjir (Nizamghat) and Sadiya the Dibang has a steep river gradient and exhibits braided channel morphology, with its width varying from 4 to 9 kilometres (2 to 6 mi). It often changes its course, resulting in flooding and destruction of cultivable land and forests along its banks. [4] The Dibang, with a total length of 195 kilometres (121 mi), enters the River Lohit north of the Dibru-Saikhowa sanctuary near the Assamese town of Sadiya. [5] [6]

Tributaries

The Sisar, Mathun, Tangon, Dri, Ithun and Emra are the major tributaries of the Dibang. The Dibang is also joined by a number of tributaries such as the Airi, Ilu, Imu, Ahi, Ashu, Epipani and Eze (Deopani) rivers during its course. Most of these rivers join it in the upper course in the hills thus giving it a wide fan shaped catchment region. [3] [4]

Hydro projects

As of 2016 there were 18 hydro-electric projects at different stages of proposal and planning in the Dibang basin. [2]

In 2008, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone for a 3000 MW dam as part of the Dibang Multipurpose Project the district of Lower Dibang Valley. Seventeen other dams with power potential between 20 and 4500 MW have also been proposed for the Dibang. The proposed Dibang dam, at 288 metres (945 ft), on completion would be among the largest dams in India and among the world's tallest gravity dams has since run into opposition from the Adi, Idu and the Assamese who live downstream of the project. [3] [7] [8]

On 18 July 2019, the Prime Minister chaired Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave the greenlight to continue with the Dibang hydropower project. [1] The renewal has been backed by the electricity the project has the capacity to generate, help with flood control in the region and as a control measure against Chinese hydro projects. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arunachal Pradesh</span> State in northeast India

Arunachal Pradesh is a state in northeast India. It was formed from the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and India declared it as a state on 20 February 1987. Itanagar is its capital and largest town. It borders the Indian states of Assam and Nagaland to the south. It shares international borders with Bhutan in the west, Myanmar in the east, and a disputed 1,129 km border with China's Tibet Autonomous Region in the north at the McMahon Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brahmaputra River</span> River in Tibet, India and Bangladesh

The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Tibet (China), Northeastern India, and Bangladesh. It is known as Brahmaputra or Luit in Assamese,Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibetan, the Siang/Dihang River in Arunachali and Jamuna River in Bengali. It is the 9th largest river in the world by discharge, and the 15th longest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mishmi people</span> Ethnic group of Tibet and Northeast India

The Mishmi people are an ethnic group of Tibet and Arunachal Pradesh, India. The area is known as the Mishmi Hills. Only one group, called the Deng, occupy Zayu County in southern Tibet. The Mishmis began to identity with the legendary Vaishnava characters created during this period which led to the formation of an alternate identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dibang Valley district</span> District of Arunachal Pradesh in India

Dibang Valley (Pron:/dɪˈbæŋ/) is a district of Arunachal Pradesh named after the Dibang River or the Talon as the Mishmis call it. It is the least populated district in India and has an area of 9,129 square kilometres (3,525 sq mi).

The Abor Hills is a region of Arunachal Pradesh in the far northeast of India, near the border with China. The hills are bordered by the Mishmi Hills and Miri Hills, and drained by the Dibang River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lohit district</span> District of Arunachal Pradesh in India

Lohit is an administrative district in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in India. The district headquarters is located at Tezu. As of 2011 it is the third most populous district of Arunachal Pradesh, after Papum Pare and Changlang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anini</span> District Headquarters in Arunachal Pradesh, India

Anini is the headquarters of the Dibang Valley district in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in Northeast India. Anini was also the district headquarters of the undivided Dibang Valley district. Most of this location's population consists of the Idu Mishmi tribal people. Due to its remote location, Anini remains a small and underdeveloped town. However, it still has basic road and air links to the rest of India. The town is fully dependent on the nearest major settlement, Roing, which is in the Lower Dibang Valley District, for most commercial needs.

Tezu is a census town and the headquarters of Lohit district in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. It is the fifth largest town in Arunachal Pradesh and one of its most developed.

Sadiya is a town in Tinsukia district, Assam. It was the capital of the Chutia Kingdom and after the downfall of the kingdom it became the seat of the Sadiya-khowa-Gohain of the Ahom kingdom. Extensive remains of buildings and fortifications built during the rule of the Chutias near Sadiya still point to the importance of the region in the past. Historically Sadiya referred to the Chutiya kingdom which included at times the districts of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji and Tinsukia. It is claimed to be the center of development of the eastern Assamese dialects, the inscription here are written in a Tai script. Its stands on a grassy plain, almost surrounded by forested Himalayan mountains, on the right bank of Lohit River which is locally considered the main stream of the Brahmaputra River. The deepest point of the Brahmaputra River is located near this village. It is famous for a flower named satphul, which is much like Jasmine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lohit River</span> River in Arunachal Pradesh in India

The Lohit River, which name came from the Assamese word Lohit meaning blood, also known as the Zayul Chu by the Tibetans and Tellu by the Mishmis, is a river in China and India, which joins the Brahmaputra River in the state of Assam. It is formed in the Zayul County of the Tibet Autonomous Region, through a merger of two rivers: the Kangri Karpo Chu, which originates in the Kangri Karpo range, and Zayul Chu, which originates to its northeast. The two rivers merge below the town of Rima. The combined river descends through this mountainous region and surges through Arunachal Pradesh in India for 200 kilometres (120 mi) before entering the plains of Assam where it is known as the Lohit River. Tempestuous and turbulent, and known as the river of blood partly attributable to the lateritic soil, it flows through the Mishmi Hills, to meet the Siang (Brahmaputra) at the head of the Brahmaputra valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roing</span> Town in Arunachal Pradesh, India

Roing is the district headquarter of Lower Dibang Valley district in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. It is the last major township at the north-eastern frontier of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lower Dibang Valley district</span> District of Arunachal Pradesh in India

The Lower Dibang Valley district (Pron:/dɪˈbæŋ/) is an administrative district in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India. It is the tenth least populous district in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idu Mishmi language</span> Language spoken in India and Tibet

The Idu Mishmi language is a small language spoken by the Mishmi people in Dibang Valley district, Lower Dibang Valley district, Lohit district, East Siang district, Upper Siang district of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh and in Zayü County of the Tibet Autonomous Region, China. There were 8569 speakers in India in 1981 and 7000 speakers in China in 1994. It is considered an endangered language.

The Dibang Dam is a planned concrete gravity dam, located in the Lower Dibang Valley District in Arunachal Pradesh, India. If constructed, it will be India's largest dam and the world's tallest concrete gravity dam, standing 288 metres (945 ft) tall. The Dibang Dam is expected to provide up to 3,000 megawatts of hydroelectric power and will also assist with flood control in the Dibang Valley.

All Idu Mishmi Students Union (AIMSU) is a community-based student’s organization of Idu Mishmi tribe in Arunachal Pradesh, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Subansiri River</span> River

The Subansiri River is a trans-Himalayan river and a tributary of the Brahmaputra River that flows through Tibet's Lhuntse County in the Shannan Prefecture, and the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. The Subansiri is approximately 518 kilometres (322 mi) long, with a drainage basin 32,640 square kilometres (12,600 sq mi). It is the largest tributary of the Brahmaputra contributing 7.92% of the Brahmaputra's total flow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mishmi Hills</span> Mountain range in northeastern Arunachal Pradesh, India

The Mishmi Hills are located at the northeastern tip of India, in northeastern Arunachal Pradesh. On the Chinese side, they form the southern parts of Nyingchi Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhismaknagar</span>

Bhismaknagar is an archeological site in Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. It is located near Roing in Lower Dibang Valley district. The remains are generally ascribed to the rule of the Sutiyas, a Bodo-Kachari (Tibeto-Burmese) ethnic group who ruled over the region of Sadiya from 11th to 16th Century CE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emra River</span> River in Arunachal Pradesh, India

Emra River is a right-bank tributary of the Dibang River which eventually flows into the Brahmaputra River. The entire valley of the river is contained in the Etalin Circle of the Dibang Valley district.

Mipi is a village and the headquarters of the Mipi Circle in the Dibang Valley district of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. Mipi HQ is located near the confluence of Andra River with the Mathun or Dibang River, and the main Mipi village, called Mipido, is 2 km to the south.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Pisharoty, Sangeeta Barooah (22 July 2019). "Explainer | The Controversy Surrounding Dibang Dam, India's Largest Hydropower Project". The Wire. Archived from the original on 22 July 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  2. 1 2 R. S. Envirolink Technologies (July 2016). Cumulative Impact & Carrying Capacity Study of Dibang Sub Basin on Brahmaputra River Valley. Volume I. Prepared for Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Accessed on 16 June 2021. Archived on 16 June 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 "Damming Dibang River: Mishmi's resistance against 3000 MW Dibang Multipurpose Project". Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  4. 1 2 "Dibang Multipurpose Project - Chapter-4: Water Resources" (PDF). WAPCOS Limited. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  5. "Restoration Proposal for Dibang & Lohit Rivers". Archived from the original on 17 March 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  6. "Dibang sub basin of Brahmaputra Basin". National Institute of Hydrology. Archived from the original on 1 August 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  7. "Disquiet in Dibang". Down to Earth. 15 May 2008. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  8. "Protests against public hearing on Dibang dam". The Assam Tribune. 5 March 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2013.

27°48′N95°35′E / 27.800°N 95.583°E / 27.800; 95.583