China’s announcement that its plan to construct the world’s biggest dam over the Yarlung Zangbo river in Tibet near the Indian border will not negatively impact downstream countries India and Bangladesh is a big lie. Yarlung Zangbo is known as the Siang in Arunachal and becomes Brahmaputra in Assam and Jamuna in Bangladesh. The project, estimated to cost around USD 137 billion, is located in the ecologically fragile Himalayan region, along a tectonic plate boundary where earthquakes occur frequently. The dam will be located just across the McMahon Line.
The construction of such a huge dam will massively impact the flow of rivers in India and Bangladesh. The Siang, Brahmaputra, and Jamuna are very important rivers. Massive human civilisation depends on these rivers for survival. If the dam is constructed three rivers will die a slow death. Also, as the area is located in an earthquake-prone zone, unimaginable catastrophe will take place if an earthquake hits the area. Further, the ecology of the region will be hit hard. India along with Bangladesh should join hands together and stop the construction of this dam. China will stubbornly try to construct a dam but India should continue to oppose and raise this issue in various international platforms.