"Water Bomb": Arunachal CM Pema Khandu Calls China's Mega Dam On Brahmaputra A Grave Threat To India's Northeastern State

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has warned that China's construction of the world’s largest dam on the Brahmputra river poses a serious threat to India’s Northeastern state, reported Hindustan Times.

In an interview with news agency PTI, he called it a “ticking water bomb” that could devastate local communities and livelihoods near the border.

“The issue is that China cannot be trusted. No one knows what they might do,” Khandu said, describing the dam as a "far bigger issue" than military tensions.

“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 added.

Khandu pointed out that China is not part of any international water-sharing agreement that could regulate such projects.

He warned that sudden water release could wipe out the Siang belt, severely impacting tribes like the Adi.

“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.

He explained that India plans to counter this risk with the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project to secure water needs and mitigate flooding risks.

He also warned that China’s dam could significantly reduce flow in the Siang and Brahmaputra rivers if completed.

Meanwhile, the Centre said in March it is “carefully” monitoring China’s plans and taking steps to protect India’s interests.

China’s $137 billion project aims to generate 60,000 MW of power in an earthquake-prone Himalayan region.

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