China has started building a massive dam on the Brahmaputra River in Tibet, near the India border. The project officially began on Saturday with Chinese Premier Li Qiang attending the ceremony, according to news agency AFP.
This dam is part of China’s efforts to produce clean energy and help the development of the Tibet region. The electricity generated from this dam will be used in Tibet and also sent to other parts of China, as per China’s official news agency Xinhua.
The dam will include five hydropower stations and will cost around 1.2 trillion yuan (about $167 billion). When completed, it is expected to generate more electricity than China’s famous Three Gorges Dam, which is currently one of the world’s largest.
However, this project has raised concerns in India and Bangladesh, countries that lie downstream of the Brahmaputra River. Experts fear the dam may reduce water flow and damage the river’s natural environment.
Earlier this year, India expressed concern and asked China to make sure that the interests of downstream countries like India are not harmed. China responded by saying the dam would not negatively affect the flow of the river downstream.
Environmental activists are also worried. They say building such a large dam in the fragile Tibetan region could cause permanent damage to the environment and affect the region’s ecosystem.
