Chinese Dam in Tibet: Its Aftereffects on India and Bangladesh

After years of speculation, the Chinese Communist regime in Beijing started the construction work for a colossal hydropower dam in Tibet autonomous region, prompting cautious observation with concerns in India. The continuous hydro-electric activities on the Yarlung Zangbo/ Tsangpo river in the seismically active Tibetan plateau are apprehended to put millions of people in the lower riparian countries to suffer in their agriculture, fish production and regular consumption. Often called Asia's water tower/source, Tibet feeds several rivers which support over 1.5 billion people living in the south & southeast Asian nations. The latest Beijing adventure on Tsangpo’s dramatic loop around Namcha Barwa mountain at Medog locality in southeastern Tibet, which is hardly 30 kilometer away from Arunachal Pradesh (which China claims as south Tibet), added another dimension of concern for the Union government in New Delhi.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, on 19 July 2025 attended the dam’s groundbreaking ceremony in Nyingchi and termed it a project of the century. Beijing first announced plans for the dam in 2020 under its five-year plan as part of a broader strategy to exploit the hydropower potential of the Tibetan plateau, with feasibility studies dating back to the eighties. The plan was fully approved in December 2024, where it was stated that the said project will have five cascade hydropower stations with a total investment of USD 167.8 billion. Once completed and made operational (tentatively by 2033), the project is expected to generate nearly 300 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity every year. Originating from the western Tibetan glacier, near Manasarovar lake, Tsangpo flows towards the east, crossing the hilly terrains to enter Arunachal province taking the name of  Siang and reaches Assam as Brahmaputra (also known as Luit), following which the mighty river runs into Bangladesh and merges with Padma to finally culminate in the Bay of Bengal.

New Delhi has been monitoring Chinese infrastructure interventions on the river and raised the issue with Beijing on different occasions. As a lower riparian country with established user rights to the river water, it conveyed the concern over the mega hydro projects in the Tibetan region. India’s foreign ministry spokesperson stated that these were reiterated along with the need for transparency and consultation with downstream nations.  The Chinese administration was urged to ensure the interest of  Brahmaputra’s downstream localities by any activities in the upstream areas. Bangladesh is however seemingly not in a hurry to express concern over the hydropower venture on Brahmaputra in the upstream. The current interim government in Dhaka recently viewed that Beijing assured no water diversion (or use for irrigation purposes) will be carried out under the project and hence it should not affect the water flow to downstream countries.

Earlier, the Communist China defended its decision to go ahead with the Medog hydropower station as it’s ‘fully within China's sovereignty’ and aiming to speed up clean energy development as well as proactively responding to climate change. The Chinese foreign ministry on 23 July argued that the project will help prevent and mitigate disasters along the entire Tsangpo river. As the project was accepted after rigorous scientific evaluations, it will not adversely affect the environment, geological stability and water resource rights in the downstream regions. Beijing is engaged in cooperation with lower riparian countries on sharing hydrological data, flood prevention and disaster reduction. Months back, President Xi Jinping described all these dams as a ‘win-win solution’ while reducing pollution and generating clean energy for economic growth meant for benefits to rural Tibetans. However, on various occasions, the Tibetans inside and outside Tibet demonstrated against the practice of damning their sacred rivers by the imperialist Beijing. The Communist administration in Beijing occupied Tibet in the Fifties with military might. The freedom aspiring Tibetans continue their fight for a genuine & greater autonomy so that they can safeguard  their religious, cultural and political rights. Considering Tibet as an integral part of China, Beijing launched a heavy resource exploitation prompting uncontrolled deforestation and infrastructural development. Even though one fifth of Tibetan areas are recognized as wildlife reserves, those forests are hardly protected.

The development prompted New Delhi to step up work for a hydro-electric dam on Siang which is expected to perform as a shield against sudden water releases from the Chinese dam. It proposes the 11,000-megawatt Upper Siang Multipurpose Project in Arunachal Pradesh with an aim to effectively mitigate the potential impacts from the upstream developments. Arunachal government chief Pema Khandu, who supported the Siang hydropower project, termed the Medog dam as  a ticking water bomb for residents of the frontier State. Khandu apprehended that the control over the river flow by a non-friendly neighboring government would put the livelihoods of thousands of downstream families particularly the Adi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh in serious troubles. However, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma responded differently over the Chinese project on Tsangpo. Interacting with Guwahati media outlets recently, the saffron leader argued that Brahmaputra is a mighty river and it does not depend solely on Tibetan water. Only 35% of Brahmaputra’s total flow comes from the melting of glaciers  and limited rainfalls in Tibet.

ALSO READ: China Begins Construction of World's Largest Dam on Brahmaputra in Tibet