(TibetanReview.net, Apr14’26) –Can the world’s largest dam be designed and built to withstand a catastrophic earthquake of the kind the Himalayan region is all too familiar with, including the one which struck the Mt Everest County of Dingri in Tibet early last year? How can it not be said that the dam itself will not cause an earthquake, given the sheer volume of water it will hold in the new lake formation and our knowledge of the phenomenon known as reservoir-induced seismicity?
These questions continue to beggar answer as Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Gouqing, who visited Tibet Autonomous Region from Apr 10 to 12, stressed Beijing’s commitment to the “landmark project” when visiting the Yarlung Tsangpo construction site.
The dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo will be the world’s largest hydropower facility. It is a key element of China’s plans to exploit the potential of the Tibetan Plateau by boosting regional growth through green energy and infrastructure. Zhang stressed Beijing’s commitment to the project during his visit, saying it would be a “major landmark project of the new era”, reported scmp.com Apr 13.
The project officially started last July, when Premier Li Qiang told the opening ceremony that it should be the national landmark “of a century”. It is the world’s most ambitious and costly dam construction to date, with a total investment estimated at 1.2 trillion yuan (US$175 billion), the report noted.
While not raising the above key questions, the report did note that India has frequently expressed concerns that the project could lead to water shortages and ecological damage downstream, where the river is a lifeline for millions of people – or even allow control of water resources to be weaponised.
“We must prioritise quality and safety above all else, strictly implementing construction standards and ecological environmental protection requirements,” the report quoted Zhang as saying, citing China’s state news agency Xinhua.
He has called for the “intensive and standardised use of resources and funds” to ensure the project remained a “clean project” free of corruption, to “collectively serve national strategies and bolster economic and social development in Tibet”.
The project, being overseen by the China Yajiang Group, is a cornerstone of President Xi Jinping’s regional strategy. In his New Year’s message for 2026, Xi said it was a vital component of China’s plans to reach peak emissions by 2030.
Chinese officials have repeatedly described the project as a routine development that does not consume water and will not negatively impact downstream flows.
Still, apart from a lingering earthquake danger, China’s potential to use the world’s largest reservoir as a water bomb remains real to downstream India and these cannot be allayed by mere assurances.
India is therefore not taking chances and has proposed a 10-gigawatt project on the Brahmaputra in downstream Arunachal Pradesh state, where it is known locally as the Siang river. It is also pushing for the faster development of the Subansiri Lower Dam on the tributary of the same name to assert their own control over water resources.
And on Apr 8, the Indian government approved a massive investment proposal for the US$3.1 billion Kamala Hydro Electric Project in the state, the report noted.