China has started construction of the world’s largest dam on the Brahmaputra River in south-eastern Tibet. China approved this project in December. The importance of this project for China can be gauged from the fact that Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang attended the foundation stone laying ceremony. China’s state news agency Xinhua said that the electricity produced by this dam will meet the local electricity needs in Tibet. Apart from this, the consumption in other areas will also be met.
China has described it as helpful in its journey towards carbon neutrality goals and development goals in the Tibet region. This dam being built on the Brahmaputra River will be the world’s largest dam. At present, the Three Gorges Dam built on the Yangtze River in China is the world’s largest dam. The dam being built on the Brahmaputra is expected to generate many times more electricity than the Three Gorges. But this project of China is a matter of concern for India.
After the construction of this dam costing around $167 billion, it is feared that the water flow and ecology of the Brahmaputra river system will be affected. Its impact can also be seen on India and Bangladesh. India had expressed its concern only after China approved the project. However, China had said that the dam being built on the Brahmaputra will not have any negative impact on the lower areas. 5 hydroelectric stations will be built in this dam. The construction work of the dam started after a program organized in Ningchi city of China, located at a short distance from Arunachal Pradesh.