Engineers’ Forum AAEA Warns of Risks from Tibet Dam After Devastating Earthquake

GUWAHATI: More than 125 have died in the recent 7.1 magnitude earthquake on the Tibetan plateau, leaving many more injured and sending a warning signal among Northeast Indian engineers regarding possible hazards to the Brahmaputra valley. All Assam Engineer's Association, or AAEA, has called for caution in the event of a high-intensity tremor triggering a possible collapse of the China-built hydropower project on the Yarlung Zangbo river.

The AAEA in a statement appealed to the central government to firmly tell Beijing to take care of the Brahmaputra River basin that covers eastern India and parts of northern Bangladesh.

The earthquake hit on January 7, 2025, and also impacted areas in Nepal, Bhutan, and parts of eastern India. International reports say that the earthquake and its aftershocks have already destroyed more than 3,500 houses in the sparsely populated Himalayan region, and almost 30,000 people have been displaced. More than 400 people have been rescued, but due to the restrictions on access to the internet in Tibet, detailed updates about the situation are not yet available. The epicenter was around 80 kilometres from Mount Everest.

The Chinese hydropower project on the Yarlung Zangbo, said to be the world's largest in terms of capability to produce 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, has been contentious. The government claims that its impact will be hardly felt down the river; however, the leaders of the AAEA- Kailash Sarma, Nava J. Thakuria, and Inamul Hye-have alerted that a severe earthquake near the site could result in disastrous circumstances for the riparian regions along the eastern states of India.

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