In Focus by The Hindu China’s mega-dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo: How will it affect India?
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Jan 16, 2026 In this engaging discussion, Samrat Choudhury, a journalist and author with expertise in Northeast India, delves into China's ambitious plans for the world's largest hydropower dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo river. He reveals how the dam's design poses potential flood risks for India while questioning China's claims of minimal impact. The conversation also touches on India's responses, local opposition to dams in Arunachal Pradesh, and the broader implications for the Brahmaputra river system, highlighting ongoing challenges in international water-sharing agreements.
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Tunnel Shortcut Uses The Great Bend Drop
- China will build tunnels through the Yarlung Tsangpo Great Bend to exploit a ~2,000m drop for power generation.
- Water will be diverted through underground turbines and returned below the U-turn, not permanently stored.
Dam Sits Inside A Biodiversity Hotspot
- The Yarlung-Sangpo Grand Canyon is a Chinese-recognized nature reserve and biodiversity hotspot.
- Building the dam inside this reserve will harm rich biodiversity and threaten potential UNESCO values.
Run-Of-River Claim, But Large Diversion Needed
- The project is primarily for power generation and described as 'run-of-the-river', not long-term water storage.
- However, a sizable diversion dam is required to regulate flows into the tunnels even without major impoundment.
