GUWAHATI: Assam's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State President Dilip Saikia has strongly objected to China’s construction of the world’s largest dam on the Brahmaputra in Tibet.
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According to a press release by the party on Monday, February 10, Saikia raised the issue during Zero Hour in Parliament, citing severe environmental and geopolitical threats to Assam and the Northeast. He warned that the dam would have devastating consequences on the region’s climate, civilisation, and cultural heritage.
The MP stressed that Assam and the Northeast already face severe flooding annually, and the dam’s construction would worsen the situation. By altering water flow, China could either cause extreme shortages or unleash destructive floods, putting millions of lives at risk.
He also warned that China’s control over the Brahmaputra’s water flow would pose long-term threats to India’s security and sovereignty, especially in Arunachal Pradesh, as the dam is being built near the “Bend of Fire Zone,” an area prone to seismic activity.
Saikia further urged the central government to take immediate diplomatic and strategic action to halt the project. He called for bilateral discussions with China to protect Assam and the Northeast from environmental and geopolitical threats posed by the dam.
According to a report from 2023, the dam is expected to generate over 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, making it the largest hydroelectric project in the world. China is reportedly investing around $137 billion in the project, and has also taken to strengthening its presence near India’s northeastern borders.
The Brahmaputra, known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet, originates in China and flows through Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and into Bangladesh.