China has approved the construction of the world’s largest hydropower dam on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, the Tibetan name for the Brahmaputra, near the Indian border.
China’s Project Overview

- The dam is to be constructed on the Yarlung Zangbo River, which is the Tibetan name for the Brahmaputra River.
- Region: The proposed dam site is situated in Tibet, near a massive gorge in the Himalayan region where the Brahmaputra takes a U-turn to flow into Arunachal Pradesh in India and subsequently into Bangladesh.
- Surpasses China’s Three Gorges Dam: The project will surpass China’s Three Gorges Dam, which is currently the largest hydropower project in the world.
- Earlier Projects on the Brahmaputra in China
- In 2015, China operationalized its first hydropower project at Zangmu in Tibet.
Three additional dams Dagu, Jiexu, and Jiacha are under development on the upper and middle reaches of the river.
Concerns for India
- The project raises concerns regarding China’s capacity to control the flow of water into India and Bangladesh.
- The size and scale of the project could enable China to release large quantities of water, potentially flooding border areas during times of hostility.
Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes
India’s Initiatives to Counter such Projects
- India is building a dam on the Brahmaputra River in Arunachal Pradesh to counterbalance China’s infrastructure projects.
To address cross-border river management, India and China share data through the Expert Level Mechanism (ELM), established in 2006.
- Under ELM, China provides hydrological information to India on the Brahmaputra and Sutlej rivers during flood seasons.
About Brahmaputra
- The Brahmaputra originates as the Siang or Dihang River from the Chemayungdung glacier in the Kailash range near Mansarovar Lake.
- It enters India in the west of Sadiya town in Arunachal Pradesh.
Left bank Tributaries of Brahmaputra |
Right bank Tributaries of Brahmaputra |
Dibang |
Subansari |
Lohit |
Kameng |
Burhi Dihang |
Manas |
Dhansari |
Sankosh |
Kelang |
|
Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store
- The river is perennial and forms a gorge near Namcha Barwa.It is known as Siang and Dihang in its upper reaches in India.
- After being joined by the Dibang and Lohit rivers, it is called the Brahmaputra.
- The Brahmaputra flows across the Tibetan Plateau, carving the deepest canyon on Earth with a vertical difference of 25,154 feet before reaching India.
- The dam is planned in one of the rainiest parts of mainland China, ensuring abundant water flow.
- States Through Which Brahmaputra Flows: The Brahmaputra flows through Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, West Bengal, and Sikkim in India.
- Tributaries and Confluence: In Bangladesh, the River Teesta joins the Brahmaputra, known there as Jumna, as a right-bank tributary.
- The Jumna further merges with the Padma, which subsequently joins the Meghna River.
- The Meghna flows into the Bay of Bengal.