New Delhi is reportedly said to be keeping a close eye on Beijing for this project which is estimated to cost about 1.2 trillion yuan or $167 billion.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the construction of the dam by China can impact India in two ways — one, in which there is a possibility of less water flow, thereby affecting the biodiversity of the region, and two, if the water is controlled then it could act as a flood cushion.”I don’t know which is correct but the government of India is a better judge,” he added.
Regarding the construction of dam on the Brahmaputra by China, there are two opinions as to how it may impact the North East. The Government of India will decide on which one to weigh upon. pic.twitter.com/wJ318altds
— biswa sarma (@himantabiswa) July 21, 2025
While the Assam CM outlined the impact of the dam checking water flow, the other aspect — where more water is released from it — can cause huge destruction of infrastructure along with displacement of lives in the flood-prone region.
Why does China control the flow of water?
India does not have any water sharing treaty with the neighbouring country, and China is the upstream state in case of Brahmaputra, just like India has the geographical edge over Pakistan when it comes to the Indus river.
The countries do share a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for sharing data during the monsoon season. Notably, the Brahmaputra gains its flow mostly after entering India.
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Project could be a ‘water bomb’
The Chinese project can act like a “water bomb,” increasing the floods crisis during the monsoon. Or it can do the opposite — stealing water from India.
Earlier, Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu said the dam can be a major threat which could pose a challenge to the “existence” of the state’s tribes and livelihoods.
“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’,” Khandu told PTI in an interview in early July this year.
“The issue is that China cannot be trusted. No one knows what they might do,” he said, adding that China has not been a signatory to international water-sharing agreements. Otherwise, the project could have benefitted India.
Concern not only for India
While the construction is expected to impact India, it is not the only country to be affected in the region. Bangladesh, which is dependent on Brahmaputra as well, along with Ganga, can be affected.
India and Bangladesh have raised the concerns about the project, also known as the believe Hydropower Station.
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India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had raised the issue. “The Chinese side has been urged to ensure that the interests of downstream states of the Brahmaputra are not harmed by activities in upstream areas. We will continue to monitor and take necessary measures to protect our interests,” he had said in January 2025.
Bangladesh in February sent a letter to Beijing requesting more information on the dam.
Possible environmental damage
The construction of the dam poses huge environmental risks in the region as Himalayan Tibet is a seismically active while being rich in biodiversity.
The scientists and engineers will have to make sure that the dam’s infrastructure is not only stable but so strong that it can withstand earthquakes and other disasters, as per Firstpost.
Environment experts have also flagged concerns about damage to the Yarlung Tsangpo gorge which hosts China’s natural nature reserve and is a home to one of its most naturally biodiverse regions.
Concerns about Tibetan tribes and communities being forced to move from their habitats have also increased.
India’s dam on Brahmaputra
While China has started building the dam which is expected to generate more than 300 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electrical energy each year, India has also proposed an 11.2 GW Upper Siang Multipurpose Project in Arunachal Pradesh.
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Expected to cost about $13.2 billion, as per Firstpost, the project will have a reservoir which can contain about nine billion cubic metres of water while generating 11,000 megawatts of power.
To mitigate the situation, India needs to enhance river monitoring systems, and adopt adaptive infrastructure planning, while pushing for integrated water resource management, said Sunil Rajan, CEO of WOG Technologies.
While China says that the project lies in its sovereign territory, its construction can certainly impact lives beyond the borders.
