China is building the world’s largest dam on the Brahmaputra at an estimated cost of $147.8 billion. However, the geological aspects of the region have become a major obstacle in the way of China’s mega dam.
Geologists backed by the Chinese government warn that the dam is being built on an active fault line. As a result, landslides and earthquakes may occur in that area. Apart from this, there is a danger that the infrastructure of the dam will also be damaged.
China is building the world’s largest dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet. The water of that river enters the Indian border and takes the name Brahmaputra. Then they entered the territory of Bangladesh.
China’s construction of a dam on the Brahmaputra is significant for Delhi in many ways, including strategic ones. Delhi has repeatedly spoken out against the conditions of residents living on the banks of the river.
Geologists of the Geological Survey of China have warned against building dams in the area. Geologically, the area is seismically active. Therefore, there is a danger of natural disasters in this region.
According to research published in the Chinese-language journal Sedimentary Geology and Tethyan Geology, the project is located on an active tectonic fault zone called the Pigeon Fault near the Great Bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo River in southeastern Tibet. The researchers found that the fault has been “highly active” since the Pleistocene, a geological period that began about 2.6 million years ago and is still experiencing ongoing tectonic or geological tremors. The stability of any infrastructure in this fault zone is questionable, be it roads, tunnels, bridges or dams!
The study said that continued fault line migration could destabilize the surrounding rocks and hillslopes, increasing the risk of landslides, avalanches and land surface deformation around the project area. Geologists have recommended continuous geological movement monitoring for the project in the region.
The hydropower project, which China will launch in 2025, is being built in Madog County near the dramatic ‘Great Bend’ of the Yarlung Tsangpo River. At this junction, the river takes a sharp U-turn and then enters India as the Siang in Arunachal Pradesh, where it later becomes the Brahmaputra River.
India has earlier expressed environmental concerns over China’s dam construction on the river. This time, geologists in China’s own territory are validating Delhi’s concerns.