Guwahati: The Assam government has voiced strong concerns over China’s approval for the construction of a massive hydropower dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo River, the Chinese name for the Brahmaputra.
This project, capable of generating a staggering 60,000 MW of power, threatens to destabilize the delicate ecosystem of the Brahmaputra River, which sustains life in the region.
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Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, during a press interaction on Wednesday , emphasized that the Indian government has already conveyed its apprehensions to China.
He stressed that the Brahmaputra’s ecosystem relies heavily on the river’s flow, which could be severely disrupted by the dam’s construction.
“If this dam comes into existence, the Brahmaputra’s ecosystem will become extremely vulnerable, potentially drying up and becoming solely dependent on rainfall in Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh,” CM Sarma warned.
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The Chief Minister further stated that he is confident that this critical issue will be prominently raised by India during ongoing diplomatic dialogues with China.
He also mentioned that the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu, has also brought this matter to the attention of the central government.
The proposed dam, to be built in a deep gorge in eastern Tibet, has raised serious concerns among environmentalists and policymakers in India due to potential impacts on water availability, river flow patterns, and the overall ecological balance of the region.