Overview
- A China‑supervised paper published in a Mandarin geology journal and reported widely on Friday says the Paizhen Fault runs through the Medog (Yarlung Zangbo) project area and has been active from the Pleistocene into the Holocene.
- Researchers found the fault has fractured surrounding rock and reduced its strength, and they said the reservoir zone has loose, low‑cohesion material that long‑term saturation could destabilize into landslides or slope collapse.
- The study stops short of calling for a halt to construction but recommends continuous geological monitoring, slope reinforcement, retaining structures, and that fault activity be incorporated into all design and construction stages.
- Construction began in 2025 and remains on a projected timeline toward 2033, while India has said it is monitoring the project through established diplomatic mechanisms because downstream flows affect millions in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Bangladesh.
- Beyond engineering risks to tunnels, powerhouse caverns and dam foundations, the findings raise clear downstream safety and water‑security concerns and will likely increase calls for greater transparency and cross‑border data sharing during construction and operation.