India has expressed concerns that the dam could give China control over the river’s flow and allow it to release large amounts of water in times of conflict. 
Special 
India has expressed concerns that the dam could give China control over the river’s flow and allow it to release large amounts of water in times of conflict. China has defended its plan to construct the world’s largest dam on the Brahmaputra River in Tibet, asserting that the project will not have a “negative impact” on downstream countries and that safety concerns have been thoroughly addressed through extensive studies over several decades.
On December 25, China approved the construction of this massive dam, which will be located near the Indian border in Tibet, on the Brahmaputra River. This has raised significant concerns in both India and Bangladesh.
The hydropower project will be situated in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, the Tibetan name for the Brahmaputra. The dam will be built at a major gorge in the Himalayan region, where the river takes a dramatic U-turn before flowing into Arunachal Pradesh and ultimately reaching Bangladesh.
India has expressed concerns that the dam could give China control over the river’s flow and allow it to release large amounts of water in times of conflict, potentially flooding border areas due to the scale of the project.
On December 27, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning downplayed India’s concerns, stating that China has conducted in-depth studies over decades and implemented safety measures. She reiterated that China has always been responsible in managing cross-border rivers and that the hydropower project has been thoroughly evaluated to ensure its safety and environmental protection.
Mao emphasised that the project will not negatively affect the lower riparian states, referring to India and Bangladesh.
“China will continue to maintain communication with countries at the lower reaches through existing channels and step up cooperation on disaster prevention and relief for the benefit of the people by the river,” she said.
The project, which could cost over one trillion yuan ($137 billion), is set to be the largest infrastructure project globally, surpassing China’s own Three Gorges Dam. Mao explained that the goal of the dam is to accelerate the development of clean energy and address climate change and extreme hydrological events.
The dam is part of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) and long-term development objectives set by the Communist Party of China (CPC). China had previously completed the $1.5 billion Zam Hydropower Station, the largest in Tibet, in 2015.
India is also constructing a dam on the Brahmaputra River in Arunachal Pradesh. Both countries established the Expert Level Mechanism (ELM) in 2006 to discuss issues related to trans-boundary rivers, including the sharing of hydrological data. Data-sharing was also discussed during a meeting between Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on December 18, where both sides agreed to enhance cooperation on these matters.
However, the Brahmaputra dam presents significant engineering challenges due to its location along a tectonic plate boundary, an area prone to earthquakes. The Tibetan Plateau, known as the “roof of the world,” is seismically active because it sits atop several tectonic plates.
(With inputs from PTI)
Copyright©2025 Living Media India Limited. For reprint rights: Syndications Today
