What is the Medog Project?
26-08-2023
10:41 AM
1 min read
Overview:
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).
Q1) Where is the origin of Brahmaputra River?
The river originates from the Kailash ranges of Himalayas at an elevation of 5300 M. After flowing through Tibet, it enters India through Arunachal Pradesh and flows through Assam and Bangladesh before it joins Bay of Bengal.
Source: India plans ‘buffers’ in proposed Arunachal hydropower project to counter ‘China threat’