Himalayan Hydropower Rivalry: New Delhi Counters Beijing’s Mega Dam Project

New Delhi: China has officially commenced construction on the world’s largest hydroelectric project along the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, situated a mere 50 kilometres from the Indian border. The massive Medog Hydropower Project is designed to generate up to 60,000 megawatts of electricity, tripling the capacity of the current record-holder, the Three Gorges Dam.

The development has triggered serious alarms in India regarding transboundary water security, severe ecological disruption, and unpredictable downstream flood patterns across Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Experts warn that Beijing’s control over the headwaters could effectively weaponise seasonal river flows.

In a robust strategic response, New Delhi is aggressively accelerating its own massive counter-initiative: the ₹1.5 lakh crore Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) in Arunachal Pradesh. Spearheaded by NHPC, this proposed 11,000-megawatt mega-dam aims to act as a vital flood-control mechanism, protect downstream riparians from potential upstream water diversions, and anchor India’s regional resource rights.

As Beijing fast-tracks construction in Tibet, the dual infrastructure push effectively turns the pristine Brahmaputra river basin into a major new geopolitical frontier between the two Asian superpowers.

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