China officially broke ground on a gargantuan hydropower dam project across the Brahmaputra River in Tibet, close to the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. The project, which costs about USD 167.8 billion, has raised alarms in downstream countries like India and Bangladesh.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang oversaw the ceremony on Saturday at the dam site in Nyingchi City, close to the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra—known locally as the Yarlung Zangbo River—Chinese state media reported.
The ceremony was staged at the Mainling hydropower station site inside the Tibet Autonomous Region, China's official news agency Xinhua reported.
Labeled as the world's most ambitious infrastructure project, the scheme proposes the construction of five cascade hydropower plants. The total investment required is approximately 1.2 trillion yuan, which works out to about USD 167.8 billion.
The huge dam is planned to generate more than 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity every year, sufficient to provide power for over 300 million people annually, a 2023 estimate holds. Though most of the power will be channeled for supply outside the region, some will also contribute to local energy demand in Tibet—Chinese officials call it Xizang.
The Saturday ceremony attracted attendees from officials of major national institutions, such as the National Development and Reform Commission and the Power Construction Corporation of China. Members of the public were also in attendance.
With construction set to begin, strategic and environmental issues have already been raised by India and Bangladesh, which are downstream on the river. Both nations have already shown concern regarding possible effects on water flow and ecological balance.
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