India’s concerns regarding China’s proposed Medog Hydropower Project in Tibet

Concerns over China’s proposed 60,000 MW hydropower in Medog, Tibet are influencing the design of a proposed hydropower project in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Siang district.

About Medog Project

• It is a proposed Chinese project to build the world’s biggest hydroelectric dam over the Yarlung Tsangpo (name of Brahmaputra in Tibet) river in Tibet close to the Arunachal Pradesh border.
• The proposed dam will be built in Medog County, where the Yarlung Tsangpo/Brahmaputra Grand Canyon (world’s deepest and longest canyon) is located.
• The proposed 60000 MW dam will have 3 times the capacity of the Three Gorges Dam.

Where is Medog County located ?

• It is located in the southeast of the Tibet Autonomous Region and at the lower branch of Yarlung Tsangpo River.
• Medog is the last county in Tibet which is located close to the Arunachal Pradesh border.
• This is the place with the lowest elevation, the mildest, the most abundant rainfall, and the best ecological preservation on Tibet Plateau.

Three Gorges Dam

• It is a hydroelectric gravity dam that spans the Yangtze River located in Hubei province, China.
• The Three Gorges Dam is the world’s largest power station in terms of installed capacity (22,500 MW).