China has approved the construction of the world’s largest dam, stated to be the planet’s biggest infra project costing USD 137 billion, on the Brahmaputra River in Tibet.
China’s Mega Hydel Project Along Brahmaputra Serves As Wake-up Call For India
•Project costs USD 137 billion, sparking concerns in India and Bangladesh
•Part of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan for national development
•Expected to generate 300 billion kWh electricity annually
China has approved the construction of the world’s largest dam, stated to be the planet’s biggest infra project costing USD 137 billion, on the Brahmaputra River in Tibet close to the Indian border, raising concerns in riparian states – India and Bangladesh. The Chinese government has approved the construction of a hydropower project in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, the Tibetan name for the Brahmaputra.
The dam is to be built at a huge gorge in the Himalayan reaches where the Brahmaputra river makes a huge U-turn to flow into Arunachal Pradesh and then to Bangladesh. China has already Operationalised the USD 1.5 billion Zam Hydropower Station, the largest in Tibet in 2015. India too is building a dam over Brahmaputra in Arunachal Pradesh.
The Tibetan plateau, regarded as the roof of the world, frequently experiences earthquakes as it is located over the tectonic plates. The Brahmaputra dam was part of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) and National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035 adopted by Plenum, a key policy body of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2020. Concerns arose in India as the dam besides empowering China to control the water flow, the size and scale of it could also enable Beijing to release large amounts of water flooding border areas in times of hostilities.
India and China established the Expert Level Mechanism in 2006 to discuss various issues related to trans-border rivers under which China provides India with hydrological information on the Brahmaputra river and Sutlej river during the flood seasons. Data sharing of trans-border rivers figured in the talks between India, China Special Representatives (SRs) for border question, NSA Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, held here on December 18. The SRs “provided positive directions for cross-border cooperation and exchanges” including data sharing on trans-border rivers, a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said.
The Brahmaputra flows across the Tibetan Plateau, carving out the deepest canyon on Earth and covering a staggering vertical difference of 25,154 feet before reaching India, the Post report said. The dam will be built in one of the rainiest parts of mainland China bringing bountiful flows of water.
According to a 2023 report, the hydropower station is expected to generate more than 300 billion kWh of electricity each year – enough to meet the annual needs of over 300 million people. The hydropower station could generate income of 20 billion yuan (USD three billion) annually for the Tibet Autonomous Region, he said.
Once completed, the project will further improve infrastructures of electricity, water conservancy and transportation. It will strengthen the synergy of development between Tibet and other regions, it said.
