source: Global Times

‘Dragon’ is all set to run a Power Plant at a short distance from the Kachchh border.

The conflict between India and China has a long history, with both countries having ongoing territorial disputes. In recent years, tensions between the two nations have been particularly high, with a number of incidents occurring along their shared border. 

Two Thermal Power plants have been constructed by China in the Tharparkar district of Pakistan as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Pakistan’s PM Shahbaz Sharif has inaugurated this project recently near the Kachchh border in the Pakistan territory. China has continued its investment in CPEC even if India opposed it.

A four-lane highway has been already constructed by China in Nepal that stretches from China and ends in Bihar and now, China’s establishment of two power plants could be interpreted as a strategy to encircle India from the northern direction. The project is located in the Tharparkar district which comes under the Sindh Territory in Pakistan.

The Thar Coal Block-I Coal Electricity Integration project, which is part of the CPEC, has commenced commercial operations of a coal-fired power plant with a combined capacity of 1320 MW which is expected to generate 9 billion KW-hours of electricity each year for the Pakistani National Grid.

The environmental damage in India

This project poses a threat to both the security and the environment of India. The coal mining taking place 40 KM away from the Indo-Pak border, which is necessary for China’s electricity generation, is causing severe environmental damage in India.

Also, China has cut down around 10 lakh trees to build this project which has threatened many plants and animals.

What is CPEC?

CPEC stands for ‘China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’, and is an important Chinese infrastructure network undertaken in Pakistan. It was started in 2013 by China’s President Xi Jinping. This is an economic corridor that has been initiated from Gwadar, Pakistan to Kashgar, China with an estimated valuation of Rs 3 trillion.

China is planning to build highways, railway projects, power plants, beaches, etc. for their future growth.

Objection of India

China’s one of the projects of CPEC is currently ongoing in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and India has raised objections persistently regarding this project.