China's Li Qiang announces launch of Tibet mega dam project that has worried India
The massive project, located in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, has
raised concerns about water supply and environmental impact downstream in India and Bangladesh.
Li attended the dam's groundbreaking ceremony in Nyingchi, a southeastern city in the Tibet autonomous region, state news agency Xinhua reported on Saturday.
The Yarlung Tsangpo becomes the Brahmaputra River as it leaves Tibet and flows south into India's Arunachal Pradesh and Assam states, and finally into Bangladesh.
Beijing first announced plans for the dam in 2020 under its five-year plan, as part of a broader strategy to exploit the hydropower potential of the Tibetan Plateau. The plan was approved last December.
Premier Li Qiang (second from right) at the groundbreaking ceremony in Nyingchi city on Saturday. Photo: CCTV
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