India Monitors China’s Proposed Brahmaputra River Hydropower Dam Amid Growing Concerns

NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated on Tuesday that India is closely monitoring China’s plan to build a dam on the Brahmaputra river in Tibet, near the Indian border. Speaking at an event in Agra, Singh emphasized, “The Indian government is on alert,” when asked about the Chinese hydropower project.

On December 25, Chinese state-owned news agency Xinhua reported that Beijing had approved the construction of the dam in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo, the Tibetan name for the Brahmaputra. Initially announced in 2020, the project is expected to cost $137 billion, making it the world’s most expensive infrastructure project. However, it remains unclear when construction will commence.

The dam is planned to be built at a gorge in the Himalayan region, where the Brahmaputra turns to flow into Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and then Bangladesh. The project has raised concerns in both India and Bangladesh. Critics warn that the dam could disrupt local ecologies, alter the river's flow, and negatively impact millions living in agricultural plains downstream. There are also fears that it could allow China to release vast amounts of water and flood border areas during times of conflict.

In response, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated on Friday that the Indian government had consistently raised its concerns with Beijing regarding the project. “As a lower riparian state with established user rights to the waters of the river, we have consistently expressed, through expert level as well as diplomatic channels, our views and concerns to the Chinese side over mega projects on rivers in their territory,” Jaiswal said. He further added, “These have been reiterated along with the need for transparency and consultation with downstream countries following the latest report.” Jaiswal also stressed that the Chinese side has been urged to ensure that the interests of downstream states of the Brahmaputra are not harmed by activities in upstream areas, and assured that India would continue to monitor and take necessary measures to protect its interests.

In a statement on Monday, the Chinese government defended the project, claiming it had been approved “after rigorous scientific evaluation.” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun assured that the dam would not harm ecological conditions or affect the water rights of India and Bangladesh.

This development follows a meeting between Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on December 18. The meeting marked the first discussion between the two countries' special representatives in five years, and the external affairs ministry later stated that the talks provided “positive directions” for the resumption of border trade, the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, and data sharing on trans-border rivers.

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