China’s proposed mega dam on Brahmaputra sparks fresh fears in Northeast

Amid China's ongoing push for large-scale hydroelectric projects, particularly the dam project, concerns are mounting over the potential impact on downstream regions in India, particularly Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. 
 

Neeraj Singh Manhas, Advisor at the Parley Policy Initiative, has voiced apprehensions about the dam project being developed by China on the Yarlung Tsangpo river, which becomes the Brahmaputra upon entering India.
 

He said that China has been planning mega project for some time on Yarlung Tsangpo river. Yarlung Tsangpo is called Brahmaputra when it enters Assam. Manhas added that while China may justify the hydroelectric project in terms of its push towards renewable sources of energy, the project has ramifications for India - especially in the Northeast.
 

"In the case of India - Arunachal and Assam, what they have faced - in 2000, we saw a huge dam that leaked in the Tibetan region and led to great devastation in the North East at that point in time," he said.
 

A similar episode occurred in 2017 when "the freshwater river, which comes from the upper riparian - it suddenly became black in colour."
 

Researchers attributed this to unregulated mining activity on the Tibetan plateau, elevated at 4,000-5,000 metres. "It has a huge amount of natural resources which still need to be explored, and China is still continuously doing that without taking care of the needs of the Tibetan people," he said.
 

He further noted the precedent set by the Yangtze Dam. "The Yangtze Dam, which is the largest dam in the world, has displaced the local indigenous people of Tibet. About 1.3 billion people were displaced at that point of time."
 

From Bhutan's perspective, the concerns are no less significant, although the immediate geographic impact may be less direct.
 

Experts and environmentalists have repeatedly warned that upstream projects on transboundary rivers like the Yarlung Tsangpo could alter water flow, impact agriculture, and increase the risk of flash floods in Indian states like Assam.
 

"For Bhutan in particular, I have to admit that because we are upstream of the Brahmaputra itself, although the river does go around Bhutan, making the dam on the bend would not really impact Bhutan directly. Still, the potential downstream effects cannot be ignored. All the rivers from Bhutan also join the further down," said Chhimi Dorji, Member of the Evaluation Association of Bhutan.
 

Dorji voiced apprehensions about the structural and environmental risks associated with such a massive construction. "When it comes to the technical and environmental aspects of having something this big in the regions that have been mentioned before, it would be like storing something that's about to burst, and because of technical issues of dam failures or natural disasters such as earthquakes, it could be a risk."
 

The cultural and spiritual implications also weigh heavily on both Indian and Tibetan communities. "We believe both in the Indian side and also the Tibetan site are considered as sacred sites, so it's also a compromise to that one," Dorji noted.
 

Separately, Dorji also offered a personal perspective on India-Bhutan relations in the context of regional collaboration and trust. "When it comes to the bilateral relationship between India and Bhutan, as a private citizen and as a beneficiary of a scholarship from the Government of India to study in India, I can say this relationship is exemplary--one of its kind in the world," he said. "I went to school and college in India, and there is very good collaboration between the two countries."
 

The issue continues to be a critical geopolitical and environmental concern for India, especially as climate change intensifies the vulnerability of river-dependent regions in the Northeast.