Guwahati, Assam – A chilling forecast of potential disaster has been issued regarding China’s ambitious undertaking to construct the 60,000 MW “Great Bend Dam” on the Yarlung Tsangpo River. Tapir Gao, a prominent Member of Parliament representing Arunachal Pradesh, delivered a stark warning at an international seminar held in Guwahati today, asserting that the colossal project harbors the potential for catastrophic repercussions across the entire Northeast region, encompassing Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and even extending to Bangladesh.
Speaking with grave concern at the gathering of international experts and stakeholders, Gao, a leader within the ruling BJP, articulated that the proposed dam poses a significant threat to the natural flow of the Brahmaputra River. He cautioned that the dam could instigate a drastic reduction in the river’s water volume, thereby triggering widespread water scarcity, severe ecological imbalances, and a profound humanitarian crisis for the millions of people residing downstream.
Highlighting past experiences, Gao recalled a harrowing incident in the year 2000 when an abrupt and uncontrolled release of water from China resulted in devastating floods along the Siang River. This catastrophic event led to tragic losses of life, extensive damage to livestock, and widespread destruction of agricultural land, underscoring the potential for similar, if not far greater, devastation should the “Great Bend Dam” proceed without adequate safeguards and transparent agreements.
According to the alarming revelations shared by Gao, preliminary construction activities are already underway on a substantial 9.5-kilometer-long dam structure. This development is reportedly part of China’s broader strategic initiative aimed at diverting significant water resources from the Tibetan plateau towards the water-stressed Yellow River basin. He further emphasized the precarious location of the project within a highly seismically active and ecologically sensitive zone, raising serious concerns about the long-term environmental stability and the safety of the millions of inhabitants downstream.
A critical point of contention raised by Gao is the conspicuous absence of any formal water-sharing agreement between China and India. He underscored that this lack of a cooperative framework represents a major impediment in preventing unilateral decisions that could have dire consequences for India’s water security and environmental integrity. “If the Brahmaputra dries up or floods unpredictably, the impact will be severe—from water scarcity to destruction of aquatic life,” he stated, emphasizing the profound vulnerability of the region.
In light of the escalating concerns, Gao urgently called upon the Indian government to escalate the issue to international platforms, advocating for concerted diplomatic pressure to be exerted on China to reconsider its current plans. While expressing his confidence in the ongoing diplomatic endeavors of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in addressing both border disputes and water-sharing concerns with China, he also issued a stark warning that a failure to secure equitable agreements could lead to irreversible and devastating consequences for the region.
Drawing attention to potential mitigation strategies, Gao suggested that “Building a dam on the Siang River is essential if we are to protect ourselves from future devastation.” He indicated that public consultations regarding such a project are already in progress, but stressed the urgent need for decisive action, stating that “time is running out.”
The international seminar in Guwahati, organized by the Northeast-based think tank Asian Confluence, served as a crucial forum for experts and stakeholders to deliberate on the long-term risks associated with the proposed Chinese mega-dam. Panelists collectively highlighted the potential for the dam to disrupt the natural and vital flow of the Brahmaputra River, which originates in Tibet and traverses through India before flowing into Bangladesh. They cautioned that such interference could significantly increase the vulnerability of the entire river basin to devastating floods, prolonged droughts, and heightened seismic risks.
Experts further elaborated on the immense scale of the Brahmaputra River, recognizing it as one of the world’s largest rivers in terms of water discharge, sustained by snowmelt and glacial runoff from the Himalayas. Its steep descent as it enters India naturally predisposes the region to flooding, and any artificial obstruction or manipulation of its flow upstream has the potential to dramatically amplify the region’s inherent vulnerability to natural disasters.
The sheer scale of the $137 billion Chinese project is also generating significant alarm regarding its potential ecological footprint. Researchers have cautioned that the construction of the dam in the seismically active Namcha Barwa region would necessitate the extensive drilling of approximately 420 kilometers of tunnels. This massive undertaking carries a substantial risk of triggering landslides, causing irreparable habitat loss, and leading to the displacement of numerous communities.
While the Chinese government maintains that the “Great Bend Dam” project aligns with its national clean energy objectives and its commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by the year 2060, environmental advocacy groups and regional leaders remain deeply skeptical. The persistent lack of transparency surrounding the project, the absence of a mutually agreed-upon water-sharing mechanism with downstream nations, and China’s past record of unannounced and potentially damaging water releases continue to fuel significant regional tensions and anxieties.
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