Putting to rest speculation about China diverting the Brahmaputra waters away from India, minister of external affairs S.M. Krishna has said that the dam at Zangmu in the middle reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo (as the Brahmaputra is called in Tibet) is a run of the river hydro-electric project, which does not store water and will not adversely impact the downstream areas in India.
“We have ascertained this from our own sources,” Mr Krishna said in response to media queries.
The minister explained that the media reports about Chinese plans to construct a dam on the Brahmaputra and possibly divert the river waters to northern China were not new but based on previously known facts. “Therefore,” he asserted, “I believe there is no cause for immediate alarm.”
He drew the attention of all concerned to the fact that a large proportion of the catchment of the Brahmaputra was within the Indian territory, before going on to suggest that “it is important that the states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam of India harness and utilise the waters of the Brahmaputra. This is the really important issue.”
Mr Krishna’s remarks are consistent with New Delhi’s position that there was no reason to disbelieve China when it says that the run-of-the-river projects it is building on its side of the Brahmaputra river will not lead to any largescale diversion of the river waters away from India.
“There is nothing to indicate to that effect (and) there is no reason to believe otherwise,” a government source had said on Monday.