China has officially launched construction work of the world’s largest hydropower dam in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Chinese Premier Li Qiang made the announcement on July 19 that the Yarlung Zangbo River Lower Reaches Hydropower Project had commenced in Tibet’s Nyingchi, near the border with the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. The announcement came despite neighbouring country India expressing concern over water and ecological risks ever since China had proposed the 60,000-MW dam in December 2024. India had also formally conveyed its apprehensions on the project to China on December 30, 2024.
Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh stated in the Rajya Sabha on March 27, “Various issues relating to trans-border rivers are discussed with China under the ambit of an institutionalised Expert Level Mechanism established in 2006, as well as through diplomatic channels. As a lower riparian state with considerable established user rights, the Government has consistently conveyed its views to Chinese authorities, urging them to ensure that the interests of downstream states are not harmed by upstream activities.”
Apart from Singh, Indian delegations at several levels, including External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, have continuously expressed concerns on the project. EAM Jaishankar also met China’s President Xi Jinping in Beijing. India’s Ministry of External Affairs had remarked in January 2025 that China had been urged to ensure that the interests of the downstream states of the Brahmaputra were not harmed by activities in upstream areas.
One of India’s primary concerns is the effect of the massive dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo River which is known as the Brahmaputra after it enters Assam. India rushed to access the impact and risks of floods and drought on the river downstream which would impact farming and ecology on Indian lands. India has stated that it will monitor the impact of the river downstream and take corrective measures if required.
According to reports, the construction of the dam by China will involve straightening the bends of the river and diverting the water through tunnels, facilitating the construction of five cascade power stations. The project, with an estimated cost of approximately USD 167.8 billion, has been planned to cater to the power needs of Tibet as well as other regions of China. China said that it aimed to achieve its carbon neutrality targets and development goals in Tibet through the project. The Yarlung Zangbo River Lower Reaches Hydropower Project is expected to produce more electricity than the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River, the current largest dam in the world.
While China has maintained that the project will not have any negative impact downstream, several experts expressed concerns and said that apart from the areas near Brahmaputra in India, the project might also have irreversible impacts on the ecologically sensitive Tibetan plateau.
On the other hand, Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed different levels of concern since the announcement of the dam. Earlier on January 1, 2025, he had expressed high concerns over the dam stating that the dam would make the Brahmaputra ecosystem fragile. He had said that, with the Chinese dam restricting water flow, the Brahmaputra would be completely dried up if Bhutan and Arunachal do not get enough rain. Acknowledging that it would be a huge problem for Assam, he had expressed hope that the Indian and Chinese authorities would sort the matter out.
However, when asked about Pakistan’s ‘scare narrative’ about Chinese dams on Brahmaputra after India suspended the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 with Pakistan, the Assam CM said on June 2 that China could not control the Brahmaputra and stated that reduction in flow of water from China might not necessarily harm India. He posted, “China contributes only around 30 to 35 per cent of the Brahmaputra’s total flow. The remaining 65 to 70 per cent is generated within India itself.”
With the commencement of the dam’s construction, China seems to have added one more weapon against India. In case of a war with India or escalation of conflict, China soon will have another dam to restrict water during winters or suddenly increase flow during the monsoons. Let’s look at some of the steps which India can take to negate or minimize the threat of these dams.
Dam for a dam: India can construct its own dams on Brahmaputra to ensure it has sufficient water even during the winters. Although such projects are already in the pipeline, convincing the natives of the potential sites continues to be a problem.
Modernisation of Irrigation: With sufficient, mostly surplus, water always available for farming, irrigation projects are almost non-existent in India’s northeast. The few that are there employ age-old techniques or lie unutilised. It might be time to renovate these irrigation systems, construct new ones and, and stop sole dependency on rainfall and the river system for agriculture.
Garnering international support: With India’s current standing in the global affairs, it could use diplomacy to spread awareness of the potential of these Chinese dams and gather international support to safeguard its interests downstream.
Improving ground water level: Techniques like rainwater harvesting and recycling can be used to improve ground water levels and maintain a sustained amount to be used in case of scarcity in the conventional methods.
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