China’s Giant Dam on Brahmaputra: Assam BJP Chief Warns of Catastrophic Impact

GUWAHATI, Feb 10: Raising alarm over China’s construction of the world’s largest dam on the Brahmaputra in Tibet, Assam BJP president and Lok Sabha MP Dilip Saikia warned on Monday that the project could have devastating consequences for Assam and the entire Northeast.

Speaking during Zero Hour in Parliament, Saikia voiced grave concerns about the potential threats to the climate, culture, and livelihoods of millions living along the river’s course. The Brahmaputra, called Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet, originates in China and flows through Arunachal Pradesh and Assam before entering Bangladesh.

Saikia highlighted that the proposed dam site lies in the Bend of Fire Zone near the Arunachal Pradesh border, a seismically active region prone to earthquakes and landslides. “Building such a massive dam here could destabilize the fragile ecosystem, triggering natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, and landslides,” he cautioned.

Already plagued by severe annual floods, the Northeast and parts of Bangladesh could face even worse crises, Saikia warned. The dam’s control over the Brahmaputra’s flow might lead to water shortages during lean seasons and catastrophic flooding during the monsoon, posing a severe threat to Assam’s social, economic, and ecological stability.

Reports suggest that China is investing a staggering $137 billion in the project, expected to generate over 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. Saikia stressed that beyond environmental risks, the dam would grant China unprecedented strategic control over the Brahmaputra, jeopardizing India’s water security and extending China’s influence dangerously close to Arunachal Pradesh.

In light of these threats, Saikia urged the Indian government to initiate immediate diplomatic and strategic measures to halt the dam’s construction. He called for urgent bilateral discussions to safeguard Assam’s future and protect regional stability from the looming crisis.

Read: Sacred Mountain, Granite Battle: Tribals Unite to Block Mining at Assam’s Hatiutha Pahar

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