China Begins Construction Of ‘Mega Dam’ On Yarlung Zangbo Close To LAC: How It Could It Starve India’s Rivers | World News
New Delhi: China has started building the so-called “mega dam” on the Yarlung Zangbo river, which flows through China’s Tibet Autonomous Region and India’s Arunachal Pradesh. Designed as a chain of five interconnected power plants along a 50-kilometer steep canyon, the project is expected to produce approximately 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually by the 2030s.
Analysts warn that the size of the dam could have profound consequences for India and Bangladesh, whose communities depend on the river.
The estimated cost of construction, managed by the newly formed China Yajiang Group, is 1.2 trillion yuan. The bulk of the electricity is planned to support China’s coastal cities and factories, with a smaller portion allocated for domestic consumption in Tibet.
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Although downstream observers remained cautious, Premier Li Qiang praised the project as the “project of the century”, emphasizing ecological safety.
Lifeline for South Asia
After entering India, the river turns into the Brahmaputra and eventually flows into Bangladesh, sustaining drinking water supplies, irrigation, fishing, river transport, and dense populations along its banks. Approximately 1.3 billion people live downstream and depend on these river basins for freshwater and food security.
Hydropower development in Tibet has already caused the displacement of tens of thousands of people. Research shows that 144,468 people have been displaced so far and as many as 1.2 million may be affected by future projects.
Governments in India and Bangladesh are monitoring the situation closely, wary of potential water diversions, sudden releases or disruptions in seasonal flows.
Environmental, Geological Concerns
The Tibetan Plateau, known as the Third Pole for its vast reserves of ice and snow, feeds Asia’s major rivers. Rising temperatures are reducing glaciers and changing the timing and volume of meltwater, increasing risks for hydropower projects.
Glacial lake floods are becoming more frequent, endangering dams and surrounding communities.
The new dam site is also located in a seismically active region with unstable slopes, complicating engineering and ecological safety. Local knowledge of river and hillslope behavior is often lost when communities are relocated, potentially eliminating the early warning mechanisms of those who know the terrain best.
Clean Energy with Hidden Costs
China touts the Yarlung Zangbo project as a pioneering renewable energy initiative that could replace coal and contribute to national climate goals. But hydroelectric reservoirs flood forests and wetlands, releasing methane, a much more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, in the early years through the decomposition of submerged vegetation. Critics argue that solar and wind farms can provide clean energy with much less social and environmental degradation.
Geopolitical Impacts
The mega dam also revives concerns that shared rivers are tools for political influence. Upstream projects can be used to impact downstream countries. China denies such intentions and insists the dam will respect ecosystem needs and regional water interests.
Still, past disputes over flood data on other rivers, including the Brahmaputra, make India and Bangladesh cautious. Authorities in India have stated that they will monitor the project, while Bangladesh is focusing on maintaining safe flows during drought and flood seasons.
The Yarlung Zangbo dam sits at the intersection of energy strategy, climate policy and regional security. Its construction will define China’s energy system and test trust between South Asian neighbors who depend on the river for life, livelihood and agriculture. How China manages this “river of power” will reverberate across the region for decades to come.
