China's Plans for Mega Dam in Tibet Raise Concerns in India

Worries include whether Beijing will use the dam to flood border areas during disputes

- Nirmala Ganapathy

A thaw in ties may be under way between India and China, but the latter's plans to construct what has been dubbed the world's largest hydropower dam in Tibet on the Yarlung Zangbo river have resurfaced worries that water could become the next flash point in bilateral ties.

India has urged China to be transparent and consultative in its plans to construct the hydropower dam in the lower reaches of the river, which becomes the Brahmaputra as it flows south into India. The river enters the country in the north-eastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims in its entirety as its territory.

It then flows into neighbouring Assam state and into Bangladesh, where it is known as the Jamuna, flowing southwards and eventually emptying into the Bay of Bengal.

Relations between India and China recently stabilised after a four-year stalemate over a June 2020 border clash that killed at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers.

China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Dec 25 that the Chinese government had approved the construction of the dam and said it "is expected to boost local people's livelihood and prosperity in south-west China's Xizang Autonomous Region", which is China's name for Tibet.

But in India, distrust remains over Chinese intentions, with commentary centred on whether Beijing will use the dam to flood border areas when border disputes flare up, and over whether water flow will be impacted in a river that millions depend on in India and Bangladesh for agriculture, fishing and drinking water.

India's External Affairs Ministry spokesman, Mr Randhir Jaiswal, said at a briefing on Jan 3 that India had taken the matter up with the Chinese side based on the Xinhua report.