What is the mega Yarlung Tsangpo project planned by China? What does Beijing hope to accomplish by building the world’s largest hydropower dam, and how could India be impacted? Experts weigh in.

China has assured India that the construction of a mega dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet will not harm the lower riparian states. The project aims to develop clean energy and has been studied for decades to ensure environmental safety.

The project has stoked concerns about displacement and environmental impact downstream in India and Bangladesh.

China announced that it is building the world's largest dam in Tibet - even larger than the Three Gorges Dam, which according to NASA, has slowed the Earth's rotation by 0.06 seconds. The new dam will be built on the Brahmaputra river.

India’s territorial claims over Ladakh have been consistent, and the establishment of new administrative units by China is seen as a further encroachment.

India's foreign ministry said on Friday that New Delhi has conveyed its concerns to Beijing about China's plan to build a hydropower dam in Tibet on the Yarlung Zangbo river which flows into India. Chinese officials say that hydropower projects in Tibet will not have a major impact on the environment or on downstream water supplies but India and Bangladesh have nevertheless raised concerns about the dam.

India warned China of far-reaching consequences if it tried to build a dam on Brahmaputra River without consulting India, which has established rights on using waters of the river. | One of India's leading Digital News Agency offering Breaking News round the clock.

The Chinese government granted approval to build the Medog Hydropower Station on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo river, where it is expected to generate 300 billion kilowatt-hours of power annually, three times the power of China’s massive Three Gorges Dam, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.