China Begins Work on $167 Billion Mega Dam on Brahmaputra Near Arunachal Border
China has officially begun construction of a USD 167.8 billion hydropower project on the Brahmaputra River in Tibet, near the Indian border, raising fresh concerns in India and Bangladesh over potential downstream impacts.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place on Saturday in Nyingchi City, Tibet, with Chinese Premier Li Qiang announcing the start of the world’s largest hydropower infrastructure project on the lower reaches of the river, known locally as Yarlung Zangbo.
Approved in December last year, the project will feature five cascade power stations, generating over 300 billion kilowatt-hours annually—enough to power 300 million people. The dam is being constructed at a strategic gorge in the Himalayas where the river makes a sharp U-turn before entering Arunachal Pradesh.
The announcement has intensified concerns in India, given the dam’s proximity to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and its placement along an active seismic zone. India’s Ministry of External Affairs has previously urged China to ensure its upstream projects do not harm the interests of downstream nations. Beijing, in response, has maintained that the dam will not cause negative impacts and that it remains committed to sharing hydrological data with India and Bangladesh.
Earlier this month, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu called China’s mega-dam a “ticking water bomb,” warning that it could threaten local communities and livelihoods while cautioning that China’s control over water could become a strategic weapon.
India is also working on its own hydropower projects on the Brahmaputra in Arunachal Pradesh as part of its regional infrastructure and water security strategy. Under the Expert Level Mechanism (ELM) set up in 2006, India and China have been sharing hydrological data during flood seasons to address concerns over trans-border rivers.
Talks between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in December last year also included discussions on data sharing related to the Brahmaputra and Sutlej rivers, underscoring the river’s geopolitical sensitivity.
The Brahmaputra originates in Tibet, carving through the world’s deepest canyon before entering India and eventually flowing into Bangladesh. The dam will be built in one of the region’s rainiest and most environmentally sensitive areas, raising concerns over ecological balance and the potential impact of large-scale water diversion.
