Overview

• China officially commenced construction this week on the Motuo hydropower station in Medog County, a 1.2 trillion yuan project featuring five cascade stations with a combined capacity of 60 GW and expected annual output of 300 billion kWh.
• Beijing says it has conducted hydrology reporting, flood-control and disaster-mitigation talks with downstream India and Bangladesh and will share necessary data to prevent harm.
• New Delhi has lodged formal complaints through the Expert Level Mechanism and diplomatic channels, citing its lower-riparian rights and pledging to monitor river flows to safeguard Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
• In response to potential water-flow shifts, India is fast-tracking pre-feasibility and detailed project studies for its 11.2 GW Upper Siang multipurpose dam as a strategic buffer in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Environmentalists and local leaders warn the mega-dam threatens the fragile Himalayan gorge’s ecosystems, poses seismic risks and could displace tribal communities while disrupting sediment flows vital to downstream agriculture.