China's Monumental Hydropower Endeavour: The Yarlung Zangbo Project

In a significant announcement, China's Premier Li Qiang declared that construction has begun on what is set to be the world's largest hydropower dam, strategically located on the eastern Tibetan Plateau, with an estimated cost of $170 billion, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

The dam, considered China's most ambitious hydropower project since the Three Gorges Dam, is expected to begin operations in the 2030s. Positioned on the lower Yarlung Zangbo River, renowned for its steep drop of 2,000 meters over a 50 km stretch, the site presents immense hydropower promise.

Though touted as a project of the century set to generate 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, concerns linger over its potential impact. Both India and Bangladesh have expressed apprehensions about downstream consequences, while NGOs warn of ecological risks.

(With inputs from agencies.)