Chinese officials officially launched the construction of the Yarlung Tsangpo Dam, destined to be the world’s largest hydropower project, on Saturday. Premier Li Qiang was present at the groundbreaking ceremony in Tibet, amidst rising tensions with India and Bangladesh, both of which share the critical river's flow.
The Yarlung Tsangpo River runs through the Tibetan Plateau before entering northeastern India and Bangladesh. As the $12 billion (CNY 82 billion) Motuo Hydropower Station is designed to generate triple the energy of the existing Three Gorges Dam, anxiety is mounting over its potential ecological consequences for millions downstream. Local populations, particularly in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in India, are voicing fears that the dam could manipulate river flow, significantly affecting their water supply.
Arunachal Pradesh's Chief Minister Pema Khandu emphasized that the dam poses an "existential threat" to native tribes and their livelihoods. He forewarned of potential disasters should China choose to release water en masse, leading to catastrophic flooding that would devastate land and life. Indian officials have previously urged China to consider the interests of nations located further downstream and seek transparency regarding the dam's impact.
In response, China maintains that it has the right to develop the river’s resources and has claimed willingness to consider downstream effects. Meanwhile, Bangladesh has sought further details from China concerning the dam's construction, indicating the broader regional implications of the project.
The dam is being constructed within the Yarlung Tsangpo canyon, reputed as the deepest canyon on earth. The Chinese plan includes extensive alterations to the river's path, with ambitious engineering projects including long tunnels to manage water flow. While these projects are touted by Beijing as environmentally friendly initiatives aimed at reducing pollution and enhancing rural livelihoods, civil rights activists decry them as continued exploitation of Tibetan land and its peoples.
In the past, protests against such projects have yielded harsh crackdowns from the Chinese government, culminating in arrests and reported cases of violence, illustrating the socio-political tensions that continue to surround these ventures.
Concerns over ecological sustainability remain high, especially given that the region is notorious for seismic activity, raising questions about the safety of constructing large-scale dams in such fault-prone areas.
