Dam-Building Spree Is a Zero-Sum Game

It has been widely reported that China has approved the construction of the world's largest hydropower dam in Tibet on the Yarlung Tsangpo river.

- C P RAJENDRAN

When the river enters Arunachal Pradesh, it's known as Siang; it continues as the Brahmaputra in Assam and the Jamuna in Bangladesh.

The proposed dam has the potential to generate 60 gigawatts of hydropower. Chinese authorities assert the project is vital for achieving the nation's goal of attaining carbon neutrality by 2060.

As the news spread about China's plan to build the dam in Medog county, the Indian government was quick to reiterate its own plans to dam the Himalayan rivers. India is also reportedly considering a 12-GW hydropower project in the remote east and wants to conduct feasibility surveys.

The protests against the proposed 12-GW Upper Siang hydropower project by residents of the affected areas in Arunachal Pradesh gathered momentum after the state decided to deploy central armed police forces to keep protestors away to begin the survey. Activists and residents have long opposed the proposed dam, fearing displacement and considering the project's environmental impact. Representatives of residents of affected villages had written to the Union home ministry and the state government opposing claims recently made that most residents support it.

When India expressed its reservations about the Chinese initiative to build the dam, it rightfully said the project will affect water availability in the lower riparian countries. The Chinese foreign ministry defended the plan, claiming it would not do so. The Chinese claim is false—but India's justification for building a mega dam is also built on the wrong edifice.