India Moves Ahead with Dibang Dam Amid China’s Mega Hydropower Push

New Delhi, September 15 — Days after reports emerged that China has begun construction of a mega hydropower dam on the trans-border Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet, India has accelerated work on its own strategic project — the Dibang Multipurpose Project in Arunachal Pradesh.

The government-owned NHPC Limited has floated a global tender worth ₹17,069 crore for the construction of the dam, designed both for power generation and as a buffer against sudden water releases from China’s upstream project. According to the bid document, accessed by CNN-News18, the dam is expected to be completed within 91 months, with a target date of 2032.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone of the 2,880 MW project last year. Since then, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and senior BJP leaders have made multiple visits to the project site at Minli village to oversee preparations. Khandu has described the project as “crucial for India’s long-term security,” warning earlier that China’s dam could potentially dry up the Siang and Brahmaputra rivers, or be used as a “water bomb” to unleash devastating floods downstream.

At 278 metres, the Dibang dam will be India’s tallest. It is projected to generate 11,223 million units of electricity annually and provide Arunachal Pradesh with ₹700 crore in free power each year. The ₹31,875 crore project also includes a flood moderation capacity of 1,282 million cubic meters, which will be created by maintaining reservoir levels below capacity during the monsoon season.

The Dibang river, a key tributary of the Brahmaputra, originates from the southern flank of the Himalayas near the Tibet border, flowing 195 km through Arunachal Pradesh before merging with the Lohit river in Assam. It contributes roughly 7% of the Brahmaputra’s annual runoff at Pandu.

Meanwhile, China’s Motuo Hydropower Station — currently under construction on the Yarlung Tsangpo — is expected to surpass the Three Gorges Dam as the world’s largest. Beijing maintains that it has a “legitimate right” to exploit the river but insists it is considering downstream impacts. India, however, has repeatedly pressed for transparency and consultation with affected countries.

Though diplomatic ties between New Delhi and Beijing have shown signs of thaw this year — with Prime Minister Modi holding bilateral talks with President Xi Jinping at the SCO Summit — China’s dam-building on the Tibetan Plateau remains a major strategic concern.