China begins building world's largest dam, fuelling fears in India

Chinese authorities person begun constructing what volition beryllium the world's largest hydropower dam successful Tibetan territory, successful a task that has sparked concerns from India and Bangladesh.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang presided implicit a ceremonial marking the commencement of operation connected the Yarlung Tsangpo stream connected Saturday, according to section media.

The stream flows done the Tibetan plateau arsenic good arsenic the 2 South Asian nations. The task has attracted disapproval for its imaginable interaction connected millions of Indians and Bangladeshis surviving downriver, arsenic good arsenic the surrounding situation and section Tibetans.

Beijing has said the improvement volition prioritise ecological extortion and boost section prosperity.

When completed, the $12bn yuan ($1.67bn; £1.25bn) task - besides known arsenic the Motuo Hydropower Station - volition overtake the Three Gorges dam arsenic the world's largest, and could make 3 times much energy.

Experts and officials person flagged concerns that the caller dam would empower China to power oregon divert the trans-border Yarlung Tsangpo, which flows southbound into India's Arunachal Pradesh and Assam states arsenic good arsenic Bangladesh, wherever it feeds into the Siang, Brahmaputra and Jamuna rivers.

A 2020 study published by the Lowy Institute, an Australian-based deliberation tank, noted that "control implicit these rivers [in the Tibetan Plateau] efficaciously gives China a chokehold connected India's economy".

In an interrogation with quality bureau PTI earlier this month, Arunachal Pradesh main curate Pema Khandu expressed interest that the Siang and Brahmaputra could "dry up considerably" erstwhile the dam was completed.

He added that the dam was "going to origin an existential menace to our tribes and our livelihoods. It is rather superior due to the fact that China could adjacent usage this arsenic a benignant of 'water bomb'".

"Suppose the dam is built and they abruptly merchandise water, our full Siang loop would beryllium destroyed," helium said. "In particular, the Adi people and akin groups... would spot each their property, land, and particularly quality life, endure devastating effects."

In January a spokesperson for India's ministry of outer affairs said they had expressed concerns to China astir the interaction of mega-dams and had urged Beijing to "ensure the interests of downstream states" were not harmed. They had besides emphasised the "need for transparency and consultation with downstream countries".

India plans to physique a hydropower dam connected the Siang river, which would enactment arsenic a buffer against abrupt h2o releases from China's dam and forestall flooding successful their areas.

China's overseas ministry has antecedently responded to India, saying successful 2020 that China has a "legitimate right" to dam the stream and has considered downstream impacts.

Bangladesh besides expressed concerns to China astir the project, with officials successful February sending a missive to Beijing requesting much accusation connected the dam.

Chinese authorities person agelong eyed the hydropower imaginable of the dam's determination successful the Tibet Autonomous Region.

It's successful a monolithic canyon that is said to beryllium the world's deepest and longest connected land, on a conception wherever the Yarlung Tsangpo - Tibet's longest stream - makes a crisp U-turn astir the Namcha Barwa mountain.

In the process of making this crook - which has been termed "the Great Bend" - the stream drops hundreds of metres successful its elevation.

Earlier reports indicated that authorities planned to drill aggregate 20km-long tunnels done the Namcha Barwa mountain, via which they would divert portion of the river.

Over the play a Xinhua study connected Li Qiang's sojourn said that engineers would behaviour "straightening" enactment and "divert h2o done tunnels" to physique 5 cascading powerfulness stations.

Xinhua besides reported that the hydropower dam's energy would beryllium chiefly transmitted retired of the portion to beryllium utilized elsewhere, portion accommodating for Tibet's needs.

China has been eyeing the steep valleys and mighty rivers successful the agrarian westbound - wherever Tibetan territories are located - to physique mega-dams and hydropower stations that tin prolong the country's electricity-hungry eastbound metropolises. President Xi Jinping has personally pushed for this successful a argumentation called "xidiandongsong", oregon "sending occidental energy eastwards".

The Chinese authorities and authorities media person presented these dams arsenic a win-win solution that cuts contamination and generates cleanable vigor portion uplifting agrarian Tibetans.

But activists accidental the dams are the latest illustration of Beijing's exploitation of Tibetans and their onshore - and past protests person been crushed.

Last year, the Chinese authorities rounded up hundreds of Tibetans who had been protesting against different hydropower dam. It ended successful arrests and beatings, with immoderate radical earnestly injured, the BBC learned done sources and verified footage.

There are besides biology concerns implicit the flooding of Tibetan valleys renowned for their biodiversity, and the imaginable dangers of gathering dams successful a portion rife with earthquake responsibility lines.