Chinese authorities have commenced construction on what is expected to become the world’s largest hydropower dam in Tibet, raising alarms in India, Bangladesh, and among environmental and human rights groups.
The project, officially launched on Saturday during a ceremony led by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, is being built on the Yarlung Tsangpo River.
The river flows through the Tibetan Plateau into India’s Arunachal Pradesh and Assam states and eventually into Bangladesh, where it feeds the Brahmaputra and Jamuna rivers.
Known as the Motuo Hydropower Station, the dam is projected to cost around 1.2 trillion yuan ($167 billion) and, upon completion, will surpass the Three Gorges Dam in scale and power generation—producing up to three times more electricity.
While Beijing insists the project will prioritise ecological protection and economic development, critics warn it could give China strategic control over crucial transboundary water flows.
The International hydropower push is part of President Xi Jinping’s “xidiandongsong” policy, or “sending western electricity eastwards,” which aims to power eastern cities using energy from China’s rural west.
India and Bangladesh, however, have voiced serious concerns. In January, India’s Ministry of External Affairs urged China to uphold transparency and consider the interests of downstream nations.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu warned that the dam poses an “existential threat” to communities in the Siang basin.
“If China suddenly releases water, our entire Siang belt would be destroyed,” he said, warning of devastating impacts on lives, land, and livelihoods, especially for indigenous tribes like the Adi.
A 2020 Lowy Institute report warned that China’s upstream position gives it a potential “chokehold” on India’s economy via river control.
In response, India is developing its hydropower dam on the Siang River to buffer against sudden water surges.
Bangladesh also expressed concerns in February, formally requesting more information from Beijing about the dam’s potential downstream impact.
Environmentalists and activists have criticised China’s mega-dam expansion in seismically active Tibetan valleys, home to fragile ecosystems.
The Motuo site lies in one of the world’s deepest and longest land canyons, where the Yarlung Tsangpo makes a dramatic “Great Bend” around the Namcha Barwa mountain, dropping hundreds of metres, making it ideal for power generation.
State media outlet Xinhua reported that engineers plan to straighten parts of the river and divert water through a series of 20-kilometre tunnels to build five cascading power stations.
While China claims the project will benefit Tibet, most electricity will be transmitted to other regions.
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