China’s Yarlung Tsangpo Dam poses serious threat to Northeast, warns expert at Dibrugarh lecture

A CORRESPONDENT

DIBRUGARH: As part of its Golden Jubilee celebrations, Dibrugarh Press Club on Monday organized a lecture under its ‘Aamar Alohi’ series at Jagriti Hall on the topic ‘Mega Dam on Yarlung Tsangpo and Its Possible Impact: From Dibrugarh to Guwahati and Bangladesh.’

Delivering the lecture, eminent geologist and retired Dibrugarh University Professor Dr Jogendranath Sharma warned that China’s proposed Medog Hydropower Project could lead to severe natural disasters across downstream Assam. Approved in December 2024, the 60,000-MW project, 60 times larger than India’s largest dams, is being built in a seismically active and ecologically fragile region of Medog County.

Dr Sharma highlighted threats such as erosion from ‘hungry water,’ damage to groundwater systems, changes in monsoon patterns, and risks to biodiversity and the livelihoods of over 2 million fishermen. He urged a joint Indo-China Environmental Impact Assessment, stressing that the dam’s collapse during an earthquake could cause devastation similar to the 1950 Assam disaster.

He also noted that while the Yarlung Tsangpo contributed only about 5% of the Brahmaputra’s flow in Bangladesh, the risks posed by the dam remained significant. India’s proposed 11,000-MW Siang project was also mentioned as a countermeasure, though it, too, faced environmental concerns. A delegation from the Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum (SIFF) from Arunachal Pradesh also took active participation during the programme. The delegates also presented their views related to their opposition and concerns over the Siang Upper Multi-Purpose Project which will be implemented by NHPC on the Siang river.

The event was anchored by Dibrugarh Press Club General Secretary Ripunjoy Das and attended by a host of distinguished guests, including All India Radio & Doordarshan Programme Head Lohit Deka, senior journalists Iqbal Ahmed, Ron Dowerah, Lakhikanta Majindar Baruah, Lalit Sharma, Anil Poddar, Prabir Chakraborty, Ajoy Dutta, Sourav Dowerah, many journalists from Dibrugarh and Tinsukia, and Gandhapati Chungkrang, the Director of the NE Fire Services Academy.

Dr Jogendranath Sharma was honoured by the Dibrugarh Press Club with a phulam gamocha, a memento, and a citation in recognition of his valuable contribution. Dibrugarh Press Club also expressed its gratitude towards NEFSA for sponsoring the programme.

Also Read: Arunachal Pradesh MLA Raises Alarms Over China’s Massive Dam on Yarlung Tsangpo River

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