Beijing/New Delhi, 6 January 2025: In the foothills of the Himalayas, where the ancient Yarlung civilization established the first Tibetan Empire, China has announced plans to construct world’s biggest hydroelectric dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, near the Indian border, stating that the dam will not negatively impact downstream countries such as India and Bangladesh.
According to reports, the project, expected to cost $137 billion, is set to be the world’s largest.
“The project has passed rigorous scientific checks, and it will not harm the environment or water resources of the downstream nations,” said Guo Jiakun, the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s new spokesperson, stated during a media briefing on Monday.
“It will contribute to disaster prevention and response to climate change to a certain extent,” he added, responding to concerns raised by India.
India has consistently expressed apprehensions regarding China’s upstream river projects. “We will continue to monitor and take necessary measures to protect our interests,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated on January 3.
China initially approved the dam project last month, which is set to be constructed at a deep gorge in the Himalayan region, where the river (Brahmaputra) takes a turn into Arunachal Pradesh before flowing into Bangladesh.