Reports have started circulating that China is going to build a Super Dam near the LAC (Line of Actual Control) in Tibet. Reportedly, the new dam is going to be constructed near the lower stretches of the Yarlung-Tsangpo River, which is basically India’s Brahmaputra River. The Brahmaputra, which is one of the longest rivers in the world, originates in Tibet and ends in the Bay of Bengal. The Yarlung-Tsangpo is the upper section of the Brahmaputra where China’s ambitious project is reportedly going to be built.
With the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, China has intensified its efforts on hydropower projects in Tibet. Boasting a planned capacity of 60 gigawatts, the new dam will surpass, both in size and capacity, China’s own 'Three Gorges Dam,' which is currently recognized as the world's largest hydroelectric facility. This massive project’s site is reportedly just 30 kilometres away from the Indian border and is a major cause of geo-political concern in India.
After leaving the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR), the Yarlung Tsangpo becomes the Brahmaputra River, flowing through Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Bangladesh. It is vital to the communities along its banks. People rely on the river's water and the fertile soil that it carries, primarily for agriculture, irrigation, and fishing.
Such a gigantic dam can impede the flow of fertile silty soil carried by the river, negatively affecting downstream farming areas. Shared water resources have long complicated Sino-India relations.
Though China claims the dam is a run-of-the-river hydropower project and won't divert the waters of the Brahmaputra, experts fear it may still reduce water flow during the summer. And if China decides to release water from the dam during the Monsoon, it could be disastrous for the already flood-prone state of Assam.
According to the Hindu, in 2021, China started building a dam on the Mabja Zangbo River in Tibet. The dam, which is approximately 16 kilometres north of the tri-junction (the border of India, Nepal, and China), is of strategic importance. The Mabja Zangbo River originates in Nagari County, Tibet, and flows through Nepal before joining the Ghaghara River, which eventually feeds into the Ganges. With China building a dam on this river, it could not only divert water but also store significant amounts, potentially leading to water scarcity in regions that rely on the Mabja Zangbo River's water flow. This could have adverse effects on downstream areas, including in Nepal, where rivers like the Ghaghara and the Karnali may experience lower water levels.
Additionally, China's presence and control over strategic water resources in disputed areas could be used to bolster its claim on those territories. Such infrastructure projects can be seen as a way to solidify China's presence in the region and exert influence over disputed territories.
Since early 2021, China has been constructing a dam on the Mabja Zangbo river just a few kilometers north of the trijunction border with India & Nepal, while the structure isn't complete, the project will raise concerns regarding China's future control on water in the region pic.twitter.com/XH5xSWirMk
— Damien Symon (@detresfa_) January 19, 2023
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