BEIJING/NEW DELHI – China officially kick-started construction of massive $168 billion hydropower dam on the Brahmaputra River in Tibet, causing serious concerns in India over potential strategic threats.
The project is said to be one of world’s largest infrastructure ventures, and is located near the sensitive border with India’s Arunachal Pradesh state.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang announced beginning of construction at foundation-laying ceremony in Nyingchi, Tibet. The dam, situated on lower reaches of Yarlung Zangbo and is expected to house five hydropower stations and generate over 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually which is enough to power more than 300 million people.
While Beijing claims project will boost power supply in remote Chinese regions and support local Tibetan demand, officials in India see it as a potential water bomb capable of altering river flow and triggering floods downstream.
Arunachal Pradesh CM warned of serious risks, saying this project poses a greater threat than military tensions. It endangers our economy, tribes, and agriculture.
Trans-boundary river Brahmaputra flows from China into India and then to Bangladesh, making the project a trilateral concern. Despite this, Beijing moved forward without any formal agreement with the two nations. Analysts argue that China’s refusal to participate in multilateral water-sharing treaties gives it disproportionate control over regional water resources.
The controversy has also sparked debate on whether China is mirroring India’s approach to Pakistan in the Indus Waters Treaty dispute.
