World’s Largest Dam on Brahmaputra

On 19th July 2025, China began constructing a mega dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo in Medog county near Arunachal Pradesh.

With a planned capacity of 60,000 MW, the project is expected to become the world’s largest hydroelectric dam, surpassing the Three Gorges Dam.

Concern	Details
Threat to Arunachal Pradesh	India views the dam as a growing threat to the northeastern frontier because sudden water releases could act as a “water bomb” and devastate the Siang belt and indigenous communities.
Seismic Risks	The dam is located in a highly seismically active zone where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, increasing earthquake and landslide risks.
Ecological Fragility	The ecologically fragile Himalayan region is vulnerable to dam failure, habitat disruption and long-term environmental degradation.
Disruption of River Flow	Experts warn that intentional or accidental reservoir operations could create flood risks and reduce downstream water flow into India.
Strategic and Water Security Concerns	The project raises concerns over transboundary river governance, hydro-politics, environmental security and long-term water availability in the Brahmaputra basin.

River Identity Across Regions

Region	River Name
Tibet	Yarlung Tsangpo / Yarlung Zangbo
Arunachal Pradesh	Siang / Dihang
Assam	Brahmaputra

PT Facts

Origin: The Brahmaputra originates in Tibet as the Yarlung Tsangpo.
Riparian Position: China is the upper riparian and India is the lower riparian in this river system.
Brahmaputra Basin: Important for water security, agriculture, hydropower, biodiversity and floodplain ecology.
Strategic Relevance: Connected with India-China relations, transboundary river governance, hydro-politics and environmental security.

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