China can unleash 'water bomb' but Arunachal has a 'counter' plan | Details inside

Pema Khandu, the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, said on Wednesday that China's proposed dam near the border will prove to be a ticking water bomb for India. In an interview, he said that the dam, billed as the world's largest dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo river, the Tibetan name for the Brahmaputra river, will be an existential threat to New Delhi because Beijing isn't a signatory to international water treaties.

Khandu said China can't be trusted, as no one can predict what it might end up doing. He said Beijing may use the dam as a water bomb against India.

"Setting aside the military threat from China, it seems to me that this is a far bigger issue than anything else. It is going to cause an existential threat to our tribes and our livelihoods. It is quite serious because China could even use this as a sort of 'water bomb'," he told PTI.

China approved the construction of the mega dam in 2024. The $137 billion project will take five years to complete, and it will produce 60,000 MW of power.

Khandu said it might not be an issue for India if China had signed the international water treaty. He said several areas of the state would be inundated if Beijing decides to release the water suddenly.

"But China is not a signatory, and that is the problem... Suppose the dam is built and they suddenly release water, our entire Siang belt would be destroyed. In particular, the Adi tribe and similar groups... would see all their property, land, and especially human life, suffer devastating effects," he said.

To counter China's project, the Chief Minister said, the Arunachal Pradesh government has conceived a project called the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, which will serve as a defence mechanism and ensure water security.

"I believe China is either about to start or has already started work on their side. But they do not share any information. In the long run, if the dam is completed, our Siang and Brahmaputra rivers could dry up considerably," he said.

For India's water security, he said, if the government can complete its project as planned, it will be able to meet the water requirements from its dam.

He further said that if China releases water, India will be able to contain the flooding with its dam. He said the state government has been holding discussions with the local tribes over the project.