China begins construction of mega-dam on Brahmaputra; India expresses concern


Daijiworld Media Network – Beijing

Beijing, Jul 20: China has officially launched construction of a massive hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River, which flows from Tibet into India as the Brahmaputra, triggering fresh concerns in New Delhi over its potential impact on downstream water flow and ecology.

Premier Li Qiang attended the groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday in Tibet's Nyingchi region, marking the beginning of what could become one of the world's largest hydroelectric dams — possibly surpassing the scale of the iconic Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River.

The mega-dam project, approved in December 2024, is projected to cost around 1.2 trillion yuan (approximately $167 billion) and will include the construction of five hydropower stations. According to state-run Xinhua News Agency, the energy generated will be primarily exported to other parts of China, while also meeting local power needs in Tibet.

While Beijing claims the dam will contribute to China’s carbon neutrality goals and economic development in the region, India has reiterated its apprehensions. The Indian government, in a January statement, said it had raised the issue with China, demanding assurances that the interests of downstream states — particularly India and Bangladesh — would not be harmed.

India's Ministry of External Affairs stated that it would "monitor and take necessary measures to protect our interests" and urged China to ensure that activities upstream do not negatively affect nations downstream.

China, however, maintained in December that the dam would have no adverse impact on downstream areas and pledged to maintain communication with lower riparian countries.

Environmentalists, meanwhile, have voiced strong opposition to the project, warning of the irreversible ecological consequences it could bring to the fragile Tibetan plateau.

The development also comes amid ongoing tensions between the two Asian giants, who remain locked in a tense military standoff along their disputed border areas, where thousands of troops are deployed on both sides.

  

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Title: China begins construction of mega-dam on Brahmaputra; India expresses concern



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