World’s largest dam on Brahmaputra
Context:
Recently, China approved its plan to build the world’s largest dam on the Brahmaputra in Tibet. The project is estimated to cost approximately $137 billion and has sparked concerns amongst the neighbouring countries, including India.
Relevance:
GS-01 (Geography)
About the project:
- The project is planned to be built on the lower section of the Yarlung Zangbo River (the Tibetan name for the Brahmaputra).
- The total project expenditure even surpasses the Three Gorges Dam as the largest infrastructure project globally.
Brahmaputra River
- It originates from the glaciers in the north of the Kailash ranges of the Himalayas and south of a lake called ‘Konggyu Tsho’.
- The Brahmaputra traverses a distance of 2,900 km through four countries—Tibet (China), Bhutan, India, and Bangladesh—before entering the Bay of Bengal.
- Source of the river: Kanglung Kang Glacier near the Kailash range at an elevation of 5,300 m, near Konggyu Tso Lake
Salient Features of Brahmaputra River
- The river system is on the landmass enclosed on the north by the Himalayas, on the east by the Patkai range of hills running along the Assam-Burma border, on the south by the Assam range of hills, and on the west by the Himalayas and the ridge.
- The Brahmaputra river system regions witness one of the heaviest rainfall patterns in the world, particularly the portions in Assam, and are prone to annual floods and riverbank erosion.
- Majuli, an island and also a district of Assam, is known as the oldest and largest inhabited riverine island in the world, recognised by UNESCO.
Related Posts
National Scheme of Welfare of Fishermen
Posted on
