Latest news with #YarlungTsangpo
South China Morning Post
13 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China's Li Qiang announces launch of Tibet mega dam project that has worried India
Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Saturday announced the launch of a mega dam project on the Tibetan Plateau, in what is expected to be the world's largest hydroelectric facility. The massive project, located in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, has raised concerns about water supply and environmental impact downstream in India and Bangladesh. Li attended the dam's groundbreaking ceremony in Nyingchi, a southeastern city in the Tibet autonomous region, state news agency Xinhua reported on Saturday. The Yarlung Tsangpo becomes the Brahmaputra River as it leaves Tibet and flows south into India's Arunachal Pradesh and Assam states, and finally into Bangladesh. Beijing first announced plans for the dam in 2020 under its five-year plan, as part of a broader strategy to exploit the hydropower potential of the Tibetan Plateau. The plan was approved last December. Premier Li Qiang (second from right) at the groundbreaking ceremony in Nyingchi city on Saturday. Photo: CCTV
South China Morning Post
7 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Will China's mega dam in Tibet bring a water crisis to India? New study gives hint
But politicians in India, sitting downstream, have voiced fears the dam could be a 'water bomb' exacerbating floods in monsoons , or that it could steal water in dry seasons. Since Beijing approved the project in December last year, there have been lots of discussions, but little proof. Now a joint study by Hohai University and China 's Ministry of Water Resources suggested the dam's impact on the Yarlung Tsangpo could be opposite to India's fears. The study draws data from two large dams already working upstream: Zangmu and Jiacha. Measured since 2014 at hydrological downstream, the results are clear: dry seasons get wetter. Low flows were up more than 50 per cent in February. Water rose significantly throughout the dry season. India feared drought – the dams brought more water instead.
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First Post
10-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
'A ticking water bomb': Arunachal CM flags threat from Chinese dam in Tibet 'we share a border with'
Arunachal CM Pema Khandu has said that Indian states share their borders with Tibet, not directly with China, highlighting China's occupation of Tibet in 1950. Khandu also raised alarm over China's massive dam project near the Arunachal border, calling it a 'ticking water bomb' that could threaten local communities and ecosystems. read more Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has said that no Indian state, including his own, shares a direct border with China. Instead, he clarified, Indian states border Tibet, a region that China forcibly occupied in 1950. His remarks come just days after China signalled its readiness to discuss the long-standing border dispute and work on delimitation talks with India. 'Let me correct you here. We share a border with Tibet and not China,' he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In an interview with PTI, Khandu explained that Arunachal Pradesh shares about 100 km of its border with Bhutan, around 1,200 km with Tibet, and 550 km with Myanmar. He emphasised that while India's border is technically with Tibet, China's control over the region cannot be ignored. India and China have been locked in a tense border dispute for years, with Beijing claiming parts of Indian territory. To resolve the issue, both sides have established a Special Representatives (SRs) mechanism. Recently, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China is open to talks on defining and managing the border to maintain peace. Khandu also praised the Dalai Lama, urging the Indian government to award him the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honour. Concerns over China's mega dam Speaking about China's massive dam project on the Brahmaputra River, Khandu expressed serious concerns, calling it an even greater threat than the military. He warned that the dam, being built close to the Arunachal border, could act like a 'ticking water bomb,' posing an existential threat to local communities and ecosystems. The dam, known as the Yarlung Tsangpo project—the Tibetan name for the Brahmaputra—was announced after Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited the region in 2021. Khandu pointed out that China is not a signatory to international water treaties, meaning it is under no obligation to follow global rules regarding water use. He added that China's unpredictable behaviour makes the situation even more worrying. 'Setting aside the military threat from China, this dam is a far bigger issue,' Khandu said. 'It could cause an existential threat to our tribes and our livelihoods. It's quite serious because China could even use this as a kind of 'water bomb.''
Hindustan Times
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
'Ticking water bomb for India': Arunachal CM's warning as China builds world's largest dam project
Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu on Tuesday said China's mega dam being built near the state border will be a 'ticking water bomb' and could pose an existential threat. Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu during an interview with PTI in New Delhi on July 8, 2025. (PTI) In an interview with news agency PTI, Pema Khandu said the world's largest dam project on the Yarlung Tsangpo river, the Tibetan name for the River Brahmaputra, is a matter of grave concern as China is not a signatory to the international water treaty that could have forced it to abide by international norms. "The issue is that China cannot be trusted. No one knows what they might do," Khandu said in the interview. Also Read | Mutual trust, respect and sensitivity key for ties with China: India "Setting aside the military threat from China, it seems to me that this is a far bigger issue than anything else. It is going to cause an existential threat to our tribes and our livelihoods. It is quite serious because China could even use this as a sort of 'water bomb'," he added. China not a signatory to international water-sharing agreements: CM The chief minister said that if China was a signatory to international water-sharing agreements, this project could have been a blessing as it would have prevented the summer flooding of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Bangladesh. Also Read | 'Environmental risk posed by China's Medog Dam project' "But China is not a signatory, and that is the problem... Suppose the dam is built and they suddenly release water, our entire Siang belt would be destroyed. In particular, the Adi tribe and similar groups... would see all their property, land, and especially human life, suffer devastating effects," he told the news agency. The Arunachal chief minister told PTI the state government, after discussions with the Government of India, has a project called the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, which will serve as a defence mechanism and ensure water security. "I believe China is either about to start or has already started work on their side. But they do not share any information. In the long run, if the dam is completed, our Siang and Brahmaputra rivers could dry up considerably," he said. He said that if the Indian government could complete its project as planned, it would be able to meet its own dam's water requirements. Khandu also added that if China releases water in the future, there will definitely be flooding, but it can be controlled. In March, the Centre said that it is "carefully" monitoring all developments concerning the Brahmaputra river, including China's plans to build a hydropower project, and is taking appropriate measures to safeguard the country's interests. China's mega dam project The Yarlung Tsangpo dam project was announced following Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's visit to the border region in 2021. China reportedly approved a five-year, $137 billion project in 2024, which is expected to generate 60,000 MW of power, making it the world's largest hydropower dam. The project is situated in the environmentally sensitive Himalayan area, situated along a tectonic plate boundary where earthquakes happen often.
