Chinese authorities have begun constructing what will be the world's largest hydropower dam in Tibetan territory, in a project that has sparked concerns from India and Bangladesh. Chinese Premier Li Qiang presided over a ceremony marking the start of construction on the Yarlung Tsangpo river on Saturday, according to local media.

Satellite imagery gives a glimpse of the site where China has commenced construction on what will become the world's largest dam and China's most ambitious infrastructure project since the Three Gorges Dam. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry and Power Construction Corporation of China via email for comment outside of office hours.

The megadam is set to become the world’s largest hydropower system and, costing an estimated $167 billion, by far the most expensive megadam of all time. It is anticipated to provide 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, or around 4 percent of China’s energy needs.

The dam will be located in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo. India and Bangladesh have already raised concerns about its possible impact on the millions of people who live downstream.

Despite China`s dam project, India holds the upper hand on Brahmaputra water due to rainfall and tributaries.

According to the state-run Xinhua news agency, the ceremony took place at the dam site of Nyingchi's Mainling hydropower station in Tibet Autonomous Region.

While around 30 per cent of the Brahmaputra’s waters originate in China, the majority comes from rainfall within India’s catchment areas.

India has consistently expressed concerns over the lack of transparency and the absence of any bilateral or multilateral arrangements with China pertaining to water sharing.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed some reassurance about China's construction of the world's largest dam on the Brahmaputra, emphasizing the river's diverse water sources. While the dam raises concerns for India and Bangladesh,