Guwahati: Asom Gana Parishad leader and Rajya Sabha MP Birendra Prasad Baishya raised concerns over China’s proposed 60,000-megawatt dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo River, which flows into Assam, India as the Brahmaputra.
Birendra Prasad Baishya on the Rajya Sabha floor warned that the project poses a severe threat to Assam and Northeast India.
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The proposed dam, part of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, raises concerns about disrupting the river’s flow, impacting biodiversity, and threatening the region’s way of life and cultural heritage.
The project’s estimated cost is USD 137 billion, making it the world’s largest infrastructure project.
Both India and Bangladesh rely heavily on the Brahmaputra for their water supply. Any diversion of its flow could have disastrous effects on the region, particularly in flood-prone Northeast India. Critics fear that China’s control over the Brahmaputra’s water flow could lead to geopolitical tensions and manipulation of water levels.
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Baishya called on the central government to take the matter seriously, stressing the profound implications the project could have on Assam’s water supply, agriculture, economy, and ecology.
India is building its own dam on the Brahmaputra in Arunachal Pradesh, but the massive scale of China’s project raises questions about the balance of power and risks posed to the region.
India and China have ongoing talks about sharing hydrological data, but critics argue that this may not be enough to address the risks posed by the mega-project.