Our Bureau
Beijing
China is moving ahead with its massive hydropower project on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, known as the Brahmaputra in India, despite renewed concerns over geological and environmental risks following a devastating glacial-collapse flood near the China-Nepal border.
The project, described by Beijing as a “project of the century”, has been incorporated into China’s 15th Five-Year Plan for renewable energy. With a planned installed capacity of about 60 GW, the project is expected to comprise five hydropower stations and generate around 300 billion kWh of electricity annually. Its estimated investment is about 1.2 trillion yuan, making it one of the largest infrastructure projects undertaken by China.
The renewed scrutiny comes after the August 26 glacial collapse and flash floods near the China-Nepal border highlighted the vulnerability of the Himalayan region to sudden geological and climate-related events. The incident has intensified questions over the safety of large infrastructure projects in a seismically active and environmentally fragile region.
India has repeatedly expressed concerns about the project because the dam is planned near the river’s “Great Bend” in Tibet, shortly before the river enters Arunachal Pradesh as the Siang. The concerns centre on possible changes to downstream water flows, sediment movement, flooding risks and the ecological health of the river basin.
The project also carries strategic implications for India because the Brahmaputra is a major transboundary river supporting communities and ecosystems across India and Bangladesh. While China maintains that the project will not adversely affect downstream countries, experts have called for greater transparency and hydrological data-sharing between the upstream and downstream nations.