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'Ticking water bomb for India': Arunachal CM's warning as China builds world's largest dam project
Pema Khandu said that the world's largest dam project on the Yarlung Tsangpo river, the Tibetan name for the Brahmaputra, is a matter of grave concern
Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu on Tuesday said China's mega dam being built near the state border will be a “ticking water bomb” and could pose an existential threat.
In an interview with news agency PTI, Pema Khandu said the world's largest dam project on the Yarlung Tsangpo river, the Tibetan name for the River Brahmaputra, is a matter of grave concern as China is not a signatory to the international water treaty that could have forced it to abide by international norms.
"The issue is that China cannot be trusted. No one knows what they might do," Khandu said in the interview.
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"Setting aside the military threat from China, it seems to me that this is a far bigger issue than anything else. It is going to cause an existential threat to our tribes and our livelihoods. It is quite serious because China could even use this as a sort of 'water bomb'," he added.
China not a signatory to international water-sharing agreements: CM
The chief minister said that if China was a signatory to international water-sharing agreements, this project could have been a blessing as it would have prevented the summer flooding of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Bangladesh.
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"But China is not a signatory, and that is the problem... Suppose the dam is built and they suddenly release water, our entire Siang belt would be destroyed. In particular, the Adi tribe and similar groups... would see all their property, land, and especially human life, suffer devastating effects," he told the news agency.
The Arunachal chief minister told PTI the state government, after discussions with the Government of India, has a project called the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, which will serve as a defence mechanism and ensure water security.
"I believe China is either about to start or has already started work on their side. But they do not share any information. In the long run, if the dam is completed, our Siang and Brahmaputra rivers could dry up considerably," he said.
He said that if the Indian government could complete its project as planned, it would be able to meet its own dam's water requirements.
Khandu also added that if China releases water in the future, there will definitely be flooding, but it can be controlled.
In March, the Centre said that it is "carefully" monitoring all developments concerning the Brahmaputra river, including China's plans to build a hydropower project, and is taking appropriate measures to safeguard the country's interests.
China's mega dam project
The Yarlung Tsangpo dam project was announced following Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's visit to the border region in 2021.
China reportedly approved a five-year, $137 billion project in 2024, which is expected to generate 60,000 MW of power, making it the world's largest hydropower dam.
The project is situated in the environmentally sensitive Himalayan area, situated along a tectonic plate boundary where earthquakes happen often.
