WORLD’S LARGEST HYDROPOWER DAM ON BRAHMAPUTRA BY CHINA

GS 2 – POLITY

China has greenlit the construction of the world’s largest dam, touted as the most ambitious infrastructure project globally, in Tibet’s Medog region.

Key Details of the Project

• Scale: This dam will have over three times the capacity of the Three Gorges Dam, currently the largest dam in the world, located in central China.
• Location: Situated on the lower stretches of the Yarlung Zangbo River (the Tibetan name for the Brahmaputra) in a deep Himalayan gorge, where the river makes a significant U-turn before entering Arunachal Pradesh, India.
• Purpose: The dam is intended to align with China’s carbon neutrality goals, stimulate industrial growth, and generate employment in Tibet.

Concerns and Challenges

1. Engineering Challenges

The Tibetan plateau, known as the “roof of the world,” lies in a seismically active zone, making the region highly susceptible to earthquakes due to tectonic activity.

2. Environmental Impact

The dam could disrupt local ecosystems and alter downstream water flow, posing risks to agriculture, biodiversity, and the natural course of the river.

3. Geopolitical Implications

India and Bangladesh have expressed concerns over potential control of water flow by China, fearing that the dam could be used to release excess water during conflicts, resulting in downstream flooding.

Existing Cooperation and Developments

To address transboundary river issues, China and India established the Expert Level Mechanism (ELM) in 2006. Under this framework, China provides hydrological data on the Brahmaputra and Sutlej rivers to India during flood seasons.
Meanwhile, India is also advancing its own hydropower project on the Brahmaputra River in Arunachal Pradesh.

Additional Development

The Indian government recently notified the Telecommunications (Procedures and Safeguards for Lawful Interception of Messages) Rules, 2024.