INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
structure is being built on the Yarlung Tsangpo river, in Tibetan territory.Li Qiang made the comments on Saturday, at a ceremony in the
region to mark the start of the build, leading Chinese markets to rise on the expectation of the long-planned megaproject, first announced
as Tibetan groups and environmentalists.The project announced by Li is planned for the lower reaches of the river, according to the official
state news outlet, Xinhua
Xinhua reported that the project would consist of five cascade hydropower stations, producing an estimated 300 million megawatt hours of
further details were given about timing or scope of construction, but the figures reported by Xinhua exceed estimates from 2020.China, the
It has tens of thousands of hydropower projects, far more than any other country.The Yarlung Tsangpo megadam will reportedly harness the
power created by the river dropping 2km in about 50km as it winds through a canyon on a U-shaped bend.India and Bangladesh have voiced
concerns over the project, fearing the water could be held or diverted away from them.The Yarlung Tsangpo becomes the Brahmaputra river as
Neeraj Singh Manhas, special adviser for South Asia at the Parley Policy Initiative, told the BBC in January.The Indian government formally
sites along the river, and the lack of information about potential population displacement.Other hydropower projects in Tibet have inspired
rare protests, resulting in brutal crackdowns from authorities, according to activists
Last year hundreds of people were arrested while protesting against the Kamtok dam on the upper reaches of the Yangtze river, which they
said threatened to displace thousands of residents and submerge ancient Buddhist monasteries
The Three Gorges Dam is estimated to have displaced about 1.5 million people.Environmentalists have also expressed concern about wildlife in
the region, as well as the significant tectonic shifting, severe landslides and extreme geography where the dam is expected to go.The
Chinese government rejects the criticism, and says the project will stimulate jobs in the region, increase domestic energy supplies and spur
on development in the renewables sector
