Khairul Alam: China is building the world’s largest dam on the Brahmaputra. The Brahmaputra was the only major river in the world without a dam. China kept this matter suppressed for a long time.
But it is difficult to avoid the satellite view. Because the dam site is geopolitically sensitive. This area is also the center of the conflict. This dam is very close to the border line (Line of Actual Control-LAC) between China’s Tibet and India’s Ladakh.
Chinese and Indian military gatherings are increasing there. At least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers lost their lives in 2020. Several other minor skirmishes followed.
This week, also, the meeting of the commanders of both sides ended without any agreement. What could be the meaning of China’s dam construction in such a geopolitical environment?
Analysts say the construction of railways, highways, dams – all part of China’s deep and detailed plans to encircle the region.
India is a big country beyond Bangladesh. Then again, China is bigger than India and the river sharing issue is never resolved in these countries. It is not known whether China informed India or Bangladesh that China would build large structures to block the flow of rivers flowing through India and Bangladesh.
After the escalation in Ladakh, China is no longer giving information to India. India also often does not give information to Bangladesh.
India has built a dam on the Ganges in the upper reaches of the Padma. Bangladesh is suffering from a shortage of Teesta water. Now China’s dam is coming to cry.
It is called Super dam in the international media. This hydroelectric project will be three times the size of China’s largest Three Gorges Dam and the largest in the world.
60 million kilowatts i.e., 60 gigawatts of electricity will be produced here. The dam in Tibet’s Shannan district is believed to block the waters of the Brahmaputra and divert it to marshy northwest and northern regions.
If this happens, then 14 crore people of India-Bangladesh will have to face trouble.