Last week, China unveiled plans to construct the world’s largest dam in Tibet, surpassing even the Three Gorges Dam, which, according to NASA, has slightly slowed the Earth's rotation by 0.06 seconds. Unlike the Three Gorges Dam, which is located in central China, the new dam will be situated in a highly sensitive Himalayan region in Tibet which will be very close to the Indian border.
This location raises major concerns due to its environmental impact and the region’s geologically unstable nature, as it lies within a high seismic zone prone to bigger earthquakes. These factors contribute to the growing list of concerns from New Delhi regarding the enthusiastic project on the Brahmaputra River, known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet. In reply to Beijing's announcement, New Delhi has made it clear that it will "protect its interests." The Indian government also reiterated its rights over the river's waters and called for bigger transparency in regards China's plans.
The Ministry of External Affairs said that New Delhi will closely monitor the developments and take significant measures when necessary. "We will continue to monitor and take necessary measures to protect our interests," elaborated Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
The proposed dam could really disrupt the flow of the Brahmaputra and its basin which can end up potentially leading to severe droughts and massive floods affecting millions, if not tens of millions, of people living downstream in India.
At a press briefing in New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson stated that Beijing had been urged "to ensure that the interests of downstream states of the Brahmaputra are not harmed by activities in upstream areas." Addressing concerns regarding the potential serious effects on Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, Jaiswal said, "As a lower riparian state with established user rights to the waters of the river, we have consistently expressed, through expert-level as well as diplomatic channels, our views and concerns to the Chinese side over mega projects on rivers in their territory."
"These have been reiterated, along with the need for transparency and consultation with downstream countries, following the latest report," he said further.