Nyingchi: China has initiated the construction of a colossal dam on Tibet's longest river, a project sanctioned by the central government in December. This development has sparked concerns from India, Bangladesh, and Tibetan rights groups regarding its potential effects on local residents and the environment.

According to Radio Free Asia, the dam is projected to cost over 1 trillion yuan (US$137 billion) and, once completed, will become the world's largest hydropower dam. It is anticipated to generate 300 billion kilowatt-hours of power annually, which is approximately three times the output of China's current largest hydropower facility, the Three Gorges Dam. The dam's operations are slated to commence in the 2030s.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, alongside other officials, attended the project's commencement ceremony in Nyingchi, located in southeastern Tibet. Experts have expressed concerns about the dam's environmental impact, with statements indicating that the dam's scale will significantly alter the river's natural flow patterns.

Neeraj Singh Manhas, a special adviser on South Asia at Parley Policy Initiative in South Korea, highlighted the potential adverse effects on agriculture, hydropower generation, and drinking water availability in India. Manhas also noted that seasonal variations in water discharge could either worsen floods or intensify droughts downstream, negatively impacting livelihoods and ecosystems.

Over the weekend, Premier Li emphasized the importance of ecological conservation to mitigate environmental damage, as reported by Xinhua. China's history of dam construction is extensive, with around 22,000 large dams built to support its rapid industrialization and economic growth, accounting for about 40% of the global total.