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India.com
7 days ago
- Business
- India.com
Yarlung Tsangpo dam: China's mega dam project on Brahmaputra meant for destruction? Poses huge threat to India and...
China is building the world's largest Yarlung Tsangpo dam on the Brahmaputra river in Tibet. Yarlung Tsangpo dam, the world's largest hydropower dam being built by China on the Yarlung Tsangpo River, which is known as the Brahmaputra in India, in Tibet, could pose a significant danger to India and other lower-riparian states including Bangladesh once $170 billion (about Rs 14 lakh crore) mega project is completed and becomes operational by 2030. Why China is building the world's largest dam on Brahmaputra? China has claimed that the gargantuan dam is aimed to bolster the country's energy independence as the gigantic hydropower project is projected to produce 60,000 MW of electricity or 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, which is equal to the annual electricity consumption of entire Britain, and three times more than the capacity of the Three Gorges Dam– currently the largest dam in the world. With an estimated cost of 1.2 trillion yuan (about $170 billion), the Yarlung Tsangpo dam is the costliest infrastructure project in recorded history, and is being constructed in the Nyingchi region of Tibet, on the lower part of the river where its makes a U-turn at the Great Bend and enters Arunachal Pradesh in India. The mega dam will have as many as five cascading hydropower generation station, taking complete advantage of the Brahmaputra's 2,000- metre elevation slope. However, the project presents a major engineering challenge as it requires around half a dozen tunnels to be built the Namcha Barwa hills in order to divert about half of the river's water. The Yarlung Tsangpo dam was announced after Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited the border region in 2021. Terming it as the ' project of the century', Keqiang asserted that the dam will solve electricity crisis in Tibet and also supply the surplus power to the northern and eastern parts of China. How Yarlung Tsangpo dam could impact India and Bangladesh? China has repeatedly stated that the gigantic dam will not cause any harm to lower riparian states like India and Bangladesh, claiming that the project was approved after decades of peer-reviewed research and studies. However, both New Delhi and Dhaka have expressed concern that the sheer size and magnitude of the dam would enable Beijing to weaponize the Brahmaputra waters in a conflict scenario. According to experts, northeastern states like Arunachal Pradesh and Assam could face severe water shortages if China decides to use the dam as a reservoir to store water, especially in non-monsoon months. In contrast, China could also cause severe floods in these states if it releases the stored water, essentially turning the dam into a weapon of mass destruction in a conflict scenario. In a recent statement, Arunachal Chief Minister Pema Khandu called the dam a ticking 'water bomb', that can store or release a whopping 80% of the river's water. The Brahmaputra's sediment makes farms in Assam and Bangladesh fertile, and this could be held back by the dam, hurting agriculture and fisheries in these states. Similarly, about 55% of irrigation in Bangladesh is dependent on the Brahmaputra, and agricultural production in the country could fall by 15% if the flow of the river dips by just 5%. Additionally, the country's famed mangrove forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, could also be at risk due to potential water shortage. As per various estimates, Brahmaputra meets 65% of Bangladesh's water needs, and potential water shortages could affect agriculture, fisheries, and increase salt intrusion in the country's coastal areas. Furthermore, the Yarlung Tsangpo dam is being built in an earthquake-prone region of the Himalayas, and could cause major devastation in lower riparian states if it ruptures or breaks apart due to a large seismic event. What is India's response? Meanwhile, India plans to build Siang hydropower project in Arunachal Pradesh with an expected capacity of 10 gigawatts. The project aims to ensure water security in the region and reduce the impact of China's mega dam, however, the undertaking faces hurdles like local opposition and environmental challenges. Additionally, India has demanded transparency and data sharing from China through the Expert Level Mechanism (ELM). Experts believe that India and Bangladesh can jointly put pressure on China, and the three countries reach a tripartite agreement under the UN Water Convention 1997. Notably, Bangladesh has also recently sought technical information on the impact of the dam.
Business Times
10-07-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Chinese property shares surge on unverified reports of meeting to revive sector
[BEIJING] A gauge of Chinese property shares jumped the most in nearly nine months, fuelled by speculation a high-level meeting will be held next week to help revive the struggling sector. A Bloomberg Intelligence index of the nation's real estate stocks surged as much as 11 per cent, with Logan Group rising as much as 85 per cent in Hong Kong, and Sino-Ocean Group Holding climbing by 37 per cent. The rally followed unverified social media reports of a possible high-level meeting that would be reminiscent of the Central Urban Work Conference held in 2015, which sought to propel urban planning and infrastructure. That event was the first of its kind in decades and was attended by President Xi Jinping, former Premier Li Keqiang and all the members of the Politburo's standing committee. The speculation relates to the possible resumption in the development of shanty-town areas, which triggered the purchasing of property stocks, said Shujin Chen, head of China financial and property research at Jefferies Hong Kong. Still, such a resumption is unlikely to happen as the government may not have enough funds to support that endeavour, Chen said. China's property sector is mired in a protracted slump. Over the past four years, a number of major developers have defaulted on their debt as government crackdowns and faltering home-buyer sentiment have weighed on their businesses. Officials have taken a number of steps to try and revive the sector, but these have so far had only modest success. Home sales extended their slump in June, spurring calls for fresh stimulus. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up 'The central government really needs to do something, especially after the disastrous June sales,' said Hao Hong, chief investment officer at Lotus Asset Management. The market is betting China will dust off its 2015 playbook to support so called shanty-town redevelopment. Potential measures may include the government speeding up the construction of new homes, offering monetary payouts to families and pumping more money into smaller cities to bolster demand. While the benchmark CSI 300 Index didn't immediately respond to the 2015 meeting, the gauge did rise in the two years following its trough in 2016, driven by a number of reforms. The broader market also jumped on Thursday (Jul 10) with the Shanghai Composite Index closing at the highest level since January 2022. The nation's 10-year government bond rose one basis point to 1.66 per cent. Iron ore futures jumped as much as 3.6 per cent in Singapore. Recent efforts to stabilise the stock and property markets haven't panned out, which is why there are wide-ranging 'bets on some new measures for stimulus,' said Zhu Zhenkun, a fund manager at Hainan Shire Asset Management. Efforts to redevelop shanty-towns would 'rejuvenate the market and bring in liquidity,' he said. BLOOMBERG
Deccan Herald
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
World's largest dam project in China a 'water bomb' for India, says Arunachal CM Khandu
The dam project, known as Yarlung Tsangpo dam, was announced after Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited the border region in 2021.
Mint
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
China's mega dam a ‘water bomb' for India, an existential threat, warns Arunachal CM Pema Khandu
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu warned on Wednesday that the mega dam China is building on the Yarlung Tsangpo river near the state border is a matter of grave concern for India. He said the dam would be a ticking 'water bomb', an existential threat and a bigger issue than anything else apart from the military threat. In an interview to PTI Videos, Pema Khandu said, 'The issue is that China cannot be trusted. No one knows what they might do.' 'Setting aside the military threat from China, it seems to me that this is a far bigger issue than anything else. It is going to cause an existential threat to our tribes and our livelihoods. It is quite serious because China could even use this as a sort of 'water bomb',' he said. The Yarlung Tsangpo dam project was announced following Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's visit to the border region in 2021. China approved the construction of the $137 billion project in 2024. Spanning five years, it is expected to generate 60,000 MW of electricity, making it the world's largest hydropower dam. Pema Khandu said there would be no problem had China signed the international water treaty. Because then, he said, it would be mandatory to release a certain amount of water downstream for the basin, for aquatic and marine life. In fact, if China was a signatory to international water-sharing agreements, this project could have been a blessing for India, he said. 'But China is not a signatory, and that is the problem... Suppose the dam is built and they suddenly release water, our entire Siang belt would be destroyed. In particular, the Adi tribe and similar groups... would see all their property, land, and especially human life, suffer devastating effects,' he said. The chief minister said that because of this, after discussions with the Government of India, the Arunachal Pradesh government has conceived a project called the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, which will serve as a defence mechanism and ensure water security.
South China Morning Post
07-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Trump vows bigger tariffs for ‘anti-American' policies as China urges Brics cohesion
US President Donald Trump has threatened to slam an additional 10 per cent tariffs on countries supporting what he calls 'anti-American policies' after the leaders of Brics nations condemned unilateral tariffs. 'As the leading bloc of the Global South, Brics countries should … strive to be a pioneering force in advancing the reform of global governance,' Li said in a speech delivered at the Brics summit on Sunday and released on Monday morning. At an event widely seen as a direct challenge to the Western-led world order, the premier said member states should uphold independence, show a sense of responsibility and take greater action to build consensus and pool their strengths. 01:47 Brics leaders condemn strikes on Iran and tariffs but avoid direct mention of US, Israel Brics leaders condemn strikes on Iran and tariffs but avoid direct mention of US, Israel As the clock counts down to the end of a temporary tariff truce with the US on Wednesday, Li called for improving global governance.
