New Delhi:

Last week, China announced it was building the world’s largest dam in Tibet – bigger than the Three Gorges Dam, which according to NASA, has slowed the Earth’s rotation by 0.06 seconds. But unlike the one built in central China, the new one will be built in an ecologically sensitive Himalayan region of Tibet, very close to the border with India.

Apart from the impact on the environment, the region is also geologically fragile as it falls in a high seismic zone and is therefore prone to earthquakes of relatively high magnitude. These are two of several concerns New Delhi has about the massive project planned on the Brahmaputra River – which China calls the Yarlong Tsangpo in Tibet.

Days after Beijing’s announcement about the mega project, New Delhi today responded by saying that India will “protect its interests”. It also sent a reminder to Beijing reiterating its rights over the river’s waters and demanded transparency on Beijing’s plans.

For now, the External Affairs Ministry said, New Delhi will continue to closely monitor the latest developments, adding that necessary and appropriate action will be taken if necessary.

“We will continue to monitor and take necessary steps to protect our interests,” said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

The project will have a major impact on the flow of the Brahmaputra as well as the river basin. The proposed project would result in severe droughts and flash floods affecting millions, perhaps tens of millions of Indians, living downstream.

At a press conference in New Delhi today, a spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs said Beijing has been urged to “ensure that the interests of states downstream of the Brahmaputra are not harmed by activities in the upper reaches”. .

Addressing a question on concerns about adverse impact of the projects on Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, Mr. Jaiswal said, “As a downstream state with user rights over river water, we have taken expert level At the same time, through diplomatic channels, we have expressed our views and concerns to the Chinese side on mega-projects on rivers in their region.”

“After the latest report, they have been reiterated with the need for transparency and consultation with downstream countries,” he added.

The hydropower project also has geopolitical implications. The project has the potential to create serious geopolitical tensions between India and China, as it sows the seeds of “water wars” between the two countries, according to Genevieve Donnellon, a geopolitical and global strategy consultant. May wrote in 2022.

Here’s what we know about the project so far.

The dam, once completed, will be the largest hydropower project in the world. It is proposed to be built on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, located in the lower reaches of the Yerling Zangbo (Tsangpo) or Brahmaputra River.

The ambitious project is part of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan and aims to generate 300 billion kilowatts of electricity annually. The project is estimated to cost US$137 billion, making it the largest infrastructure project globally.

With 300 billion kWh of electricity annually, the new dam will more than triple the 88.2 billion kWh capacity of the Three Gorges Dam, currently the world’s largest, in central China.

During the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, China had to resettle more than 1.4 million people who were displaced by the project. The new plan is three times larger, but Beijing has not given an estimate of how many people will be displaced.

The project will also change the regional ecology affecting both Tibet and India. It will also change the course of the river – having a detrimental effect on India and changing the agricultural landscape.

China’s Dam in Tibet (Three Gorges Dam) China



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