Itanagar, Jan 25: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has raised serious concerns over the potential risks posed by China’s proposed hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River, warning that it could threaten the water security of millions of people in Northeast India and Bangladesh. Speaking at the inauguration of the ‘Environment and Security’ seminar in Itanagar, Khandu emphasized the urgent need for international cooperation on shared water resources in Asia.
Khandu pointed to China’s plan to build the world’s largest hydropower dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo River, which becomes the Siang River in Arunachal Pradesh and the Brahmaputra River in Assam. He warned that the dam could allow China to control the flow of water downstream, leading to severe droughts during low-flow periods and catastrophic flooding during the monsoon season. Such disruptions could devastate communities, agriculture, and infrastructure in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Bangladesh.
The Chief Minister also raised concerns about the dam’s impact on sediment flow, which is crucial for the fertility of agricultural lands downstream. He warned that China’s ongoing exploitation of Tibet’s natural resources poses a significant threat to the river systems that millions in India depend on.
Khandu stressed the importance of the Tibetan Plateau, often called the “Water Tower of Asia,” for the water security of over a billion people in the region. He urged India to take a proactive role in advocating for the environmental conservation of Tibet and the preservation of vital water resources.
The seminar, which focused on the environmental challenges in Tibet and their security implications for India, was attended by prominent figures including Sikyong Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration, Lok Sabha MP Tapir Gao, and members of the Tibet Support Group of Arunachal Pradesh. Khandu expressed hope that the discussions would contribute to finding solutions to mitigate the environmental risks posed by China’s hydropower projects in Tibet.