India has accelerated work on the Dibang Multipurpose Project (DMP) in Arunachal Pradesh amid growing concerns over China’s plan to build the world’s largest hydropower station on the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet.

The Dibang dam, overseen by NHPC Limited, will be India’s highest dam at 278 meters and is designed with dual purposes: power generation (2,880 MW, producing 11,223 million units annually) and flood moderation.

The project, with a total cost of ₹31,875 crore, includes a recently floated global construction tender worth ₹17,069 crore for the main dam, with a completion target of 2032 under a 91-month timeline. 

This project is strategically vital as a hydrological countermeasure to potential water-flow disruptions or sudden releases from China’s Motuo dam, which India fears could either dry up the Siang-Brahmaputra system or unleash devastating floods.

The Dibang River, a major tributary of the Brahmaputra contributing ~7% of annual runoff at Pandu, originates near the Tibet border and flows 195 km through Arunachal Pradesh before joining the Lohit in Assam.

By keeping its reservoir level below capacity during the monsoon, the dam will provide 1,282 million cubic meters of flood cushioning, significantly mitigating downstream flood damage in Assam and Northeast India. Arunachal Pradesh is expected to receive ₹700 crore annually in free power once the dam becomes operational, marking a strong economic boost to the state.

The project also carries a broader geo-strategic value. Following recent reports of China’s Motuo Hydropower Station—expected to surpass the Three Gorges Dam—India views the Dibang dam as both an energy asset and a strategic insurance reservoir.

Indian officials, including CM Pema Khandu and NHPC leadership, have inspected the site, emphasising its role in safeguarding against Beijing’s upstream interventions.

Despite a thaw in Sino-Indian ties post the 2020 Galwan clash and Modi–Xi talks at the SCO Summit, India remains wary that China may use water flows as a geopolitical lever or even as a “water bomb.” Against this backdrop, the Dibang Multipurpose Project stands out as a crucial buffer infrastructure, combining energy security with strategic hydrological defence for the Brahmaputra basin.

Based On A News18 Report