India completes construction of the Dibang Valley Dam
Yet another energy project making the headlines this year is the Dibang Dam, in northeast India. At 288m high, this becomes the tallest concrete gravity dam in the world. It has a volume of 16.5 million cubic metres and can generate 3,000 MW of electric power.
The project is not without controversy, however. There has been strong local opposition, due to the relocation of indigenous tribal communities, environmental damage, and questions being raised about its safety along with that of other nearby dams. Over 100 are being constructed in Arunachal Pradesh during this time – 17 in the Dibang Valley – as hydroelectric power gains momentum. Tensions have also been raised with China, which is building dams of its own in the region, threatening to reduce the flow of water to India's territory.
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