China's mega dam 'ticking water bomb' for India, warns Arunachal CM Khandu

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has warned that China’s mega dam being constructed near his state’s border will be a “ticking water bomb” and will be an existential threat.

‘A matter of grave concern’

Speaking to the news agency PTI, Khandu on Tuesday (July 8) said the world’s largest dam project that is coming up on the Yarlung Tsangpo (the Tibetan name for the Brahmaputra River) is a matter of grave concern.

Also Read: ‘China’s Yarlung-Sangpo dam on Brahmaputra could threaten India’

The CM said that since China is not a signatory to the international water treaty, it cannot be forced to comply with international norms.

He said that China cannot be trusted, and nobody knows what they might do.

‘Existential threat’

Khandu said that the threat posed by China’s mega dam is a bigger issue than anything else, other than the military threat. He said it would be an existential threat to Arunachal’s tribes and their livelihoods.

“It is quite serious because China could even use this as a sort of water bomb,” said the chief minister.

He said if China was a signatory to the international water treaty, the dam could have been a blessing for the region because it would have prevented the flooding of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Bangladesh.

Also Read: China’s super dam on Brahmaputra: Why it's a geopolitical challenge and concern for India

But since it is not a signatory, China could suddenly release water, and the entire Siang belt in the state would be destroyed. He said it would have devastating effects especially on the Adi tribe and similar groups as their property, land, and their very lives would be in danger.

Khandu said the state government has a project called the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project which would serve as a defence mechanism and ensure water security. He said if the Indian government could complete this project, it would be able to meet the water requirements of that area.

But he said in the long run, if China completes its mega dam, the Siang and Brahmaputra rivers in India could dry up considerably.

China’s mega dam

China announced the Yarlung Tsangpo dam project in 2021, following a visit by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to the site.

According to news reports, last year China approved a $137 billion project to be completed in five years that is expected to generate 60,000 MW of power. This would make it the world’s largest hydroelectric dam.

Also Watch: Watch | Is Tibet earthquake a warning signal to China's dam-building ambitions?

It is also situated in an environmentally-sensitive region in the Himalayas that is prone to earthquakes.