China Begins Construction of Massive Dam Near Indian Border

• 21 Jul 2025

On 19th July 2025, China officially began construction of a massive hydropower project on the Brahmaputra River (Yarlung Zangbo, also known as Yarlung Tsangpo) in Tibet’s Nyingchi City, close to the Indian border in Arunachal Pradesh.

Key Points

• Project Launch: Chinese Premier Li Qiang announced the start of construction at a ground-breaking ceremony held at Mainling hydropower station in Tibet Autonomous Region.
• Massive Investment: The project involves five cascade hydropower stations, with a total investment of 1.2 trillion Yuan (approx. USD 167.8 billion).
• Power Generation: It is expected to generate more than 300 billion kWh of electricity annually—sufficient to supply over 300 million people.
• Purpose: The power generated will be used for both local needs in Tibet (Xizang) and wider external consumption across China.
• Strategic Concern: The dam's proximity to the Indian border has raised concerns in India and Bangladesh, both of which are lower riparian states.
• Global Significance: The project is regarded as the world’s largest infrastructure initiative in terms of hydropower generation capacity.