China’s new dam in Tibet near Indian border

China is constructed a new dam on the Mabja Zangbo river in Tibet, near to the tri-junction, which is a matter that worries both India and Nepal. The Mabja Zangbo river has its source in Nagari county of Tibet, travels through Nepal to the Ghaghara river, and then it meets the Ganga in India. According to sources in the security establishment, the new dam is situated opposite the Kalapani region of Uttarakhand and is roughly 16km north of the tri-junction.

China declared in 2021 that it will build a ‘mega’ dam on the lower sections of the Yarlung Zangbo to produce up to 70GW of electricity, which is equal to the three times as much as the nation's Three Gorges dam, the greatest hydroelectric facility in terms of installed capacity. China unveiled a number of hydroelectric projects as part of its goal to produce clean energy and become carbon neutral by 2060.

On January 19, Damien Symon (a geospatial intelligence researcher at Intel Lab) shared satellite pictures of the dam's development in a tweet. Images depict the creation of a reservoir and an embankment-style dam and present the action that has taken place in Tibet's Burang county since May 2021. Mr. Symon said in the tweet that: “Since early 2021, China has been constructing a dam on the Mabja Zangbo river just a few kilometres north of the tri-junction border with India and Nepal. While the structure isn’t complete, the project will raise concerns regarding China’s future control on water in the region”.

According to a source, China could use this dam to store water as well as divert it, which could cause a shortage in the Mabja Zangbo river-dependent districts and lower water levels in Nepalese rivers like the Ghaghara and the Karnali. It was added that China may utilize border-area dams to support its claim to the disputed territories in the region.