China building new dam in Tibet on Ganga tributary close to India border: Report

China is building a new dam in Tibet on a Ganga tributary, close to its borders with India and Nepal, that could be used to control the flow of water downstream, new satellite imagery has revealed.

Satellite images tweeted on Thursday by Damien Symon, a geospatial intelligence researcher at the Intel Lab, showed earth development and dam construction activity done by the Chinese side on Mabja Zangbo river in Tibet’s Burang county since May 2021, reports Hindustan Times. The images depict the obstruction of the river’s path, the formation of a reservoir, and an embankment.

Also read: Situation along India-China border ‘unpredictable’: Army chief

Super dam plans

China had earlier unveiled plans to build a “super” dam close to LAC in Tibet on the Yarlung Zangbo river, known as Brahmaputra as it enters Assam. Chinese state-run media had reported in November 2020 that the planned super dam, apart from being a hydropower project, could also be a national security asset.

The Mabja Zangbo river is known as Ghaghara or Karnali river in Nepal before it meets the Ganga in India.

Strategic concerns

The dam seems to be 350 metres to 400 metres long according to the latest satellite images. ““It appears to be an embankment dam…An airport is being constructed nearby as well,” Hindustan Times quoted Symon.

Also read: India’s border strife with China an intense challenge: Jaishankar at Vienna

People in the know say the dam could be used to divert or restrict the waters of the Mabja Zangbo river, or to create floods downstream.

In recent years, China has built several smaller dams on the Yarlung Zangbo river.