The Brahmaputra is a lifeline for Assam, as it sustains agriculture, fishing, and transportation, while simultaneously serving as a crucial water source for millions
GUWAHATI: China approved the construction of the world’s largest dam on the Brahmaputra river on Wednesday, December 25. This $137 billion project, approved by Beijing, is to be built on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, the Tibetan name for the Brahmaputra, at a gorge in the Himalayan region.
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The situation has raised concerns for India’s northeastern states, particularly Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The river enters India through the latter and flows into Assam.
The Brahmaputra is a lifeline for Assam, as it sustains agriculture, fishing, and transportation, while simultaneously serving as a crucial water source for millions. It also supports the state’s hydropower projects and rich biodiversity. Any alteration in the river’s flow could significantly affect the region’s economy, environment, and livelihoods.
According to China’s news reports, the project will surpass the scale of the Three Gorges Dam, currently the world’s largest, and is part of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025). Its construction aims to harness hydropower from the river’s massive gorges. Experts, however, warn that such a colossal structure could allow China to control water flow downstream, impacting Assam and even Bangladesh.
The $137 billion project follows China’s earlier initiatives in Tibet, including the $1.5 billion Zam Hydropower Station operationalised in 2015.
