China kicked off the work of the Moto dam, on the Yarlung Tsangpo, a river that has its source on the Tibetan plateau before flowing towards India and Bangladesh. With an estimated cost of 1,200 billion yuan (around 167 billion dollars!), This gigantic infrastructure will surpass the three gorges dam and could produce three times more energy.
A colossal site in the heart of the Himalayas
Chinese authorities assure that the project will put ” Ecological protection at the foreground And will contribute to local prosperity. Five cascading hydroelectric power plants are provided, fueled by “rectification” works of the watercourse and the digging of tunnels through Mount Namcha Barwa. The electricity produced will be mainly intended for large cities in the east of the country, in accordance with the policy of ” electricity transfer from the west to the east »Desired by President Xi Jinping.
The location, nicknamed “Le Grand S” for its spectacular turn around Mount Namcha Barwa, offers a significant elevation conducive to hydroelectric production. Beijing had long been eyeing this site, located in a canyon considered the deepest and longest in the world.
This project particularly worries India and Bangladesh, located downstream. The Yarlung Tsangpo, which has its source on the Tibetan plateau, first crosses the autonomous region of Tibet, then crosses the border with India where it takes the name of Siang. By continuing its course to the west and the south through Assam, it becomes the Brahmapoutre, before entering Bangladesh where he joined the Jamuna, one of the main tributaries of the Ganges.
New Delhi fears that Beijing can control or divert the flow of the river. A report by the Australian Think Tank Lowy Institute underlined in 2020 that ” Control these rivers (from the Tibetan plateau) gives China a strategic lever on the Indian economy ».
The Indian authorities have mentioned a “existential” risk for certain tribes, fearing that a sudden release of water destroyed the territory of the Adi people. India has expressed its concerns in Beijing and plans to build a dam on Siang to alleviate the effects of possible massive water releases. Bangladesh also asked for explanations from China, worried about repercussions on its water resources.
In addition to these tensions between neighbors, NGOs point to environmental risks: flood of valleys rich in biodiversity, impacts on fauna and flora, and dangers linked to the seismic risks of the region. Tibetan activists denounce a new exploitation of local land and resources, they also recall protests against another dam which last year had been violently repressed.
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