China to build a mega dam on Brahmaputra river

China will build a “super” dam on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo river close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Tibet, a state media report said on Sunday, in a move that could have a far-reaching impact on northeast India’s water security. Originating in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), the trans-border Yarlung Zangbo flows into Arunachal Pradesh where it is called Siang and then to Assam as Brahmaputra before flowing into Bangladesh.The state media report indicated that the dam could come up in the Medog county of TAR, which is close to Arunachal Pradesh.

China has already built several smaller dams on the Yarlung Zangbo river.The new dam’s ability to generate hydropower could be three times that of central China’s Three Gorges Dam, which has the largest installed hydropower capacity in the world.The new dam will be built with focus on maintaining China’s national security.The news regarding the new dam was published on an official social media platform of the ruling Communist Party of China’s (CPC) Youth League last week.

Yan added that the hydropower exploitation of the Yarlung Zangbo river downstream “is more than a hydropower project. It is also meaningful for the environment, national security, living standards, energy and international cooperation.” According to Yan, the 60 million kWh hydropower exploitation at the downstream of the Yarlung Zangbo river could provide 300 billion kWh of clean, renewable and zero-carbon electricity annually.