The proposed diversion of water from Manas and Sonkosh and other intermediate rivers for augmenting the flow of the Ganga and providing water to the Mahanadi basin for further diversion to southern states has brought the issue of the viability of river linking projects to the centre of public discourse. The central government putting all relevant studies and facts relating to the project in the public domain is essential to facilitate the informed opinions of all stakeholders. The Assam government should make its stand on the proposed Manas-Sonkosh-Teesta-Ganga (MSTG) link public after consultation with experts, so that there is no room for speculation. The river-linking project seeks to connect rivers in the peninsula with Himalayan rivers through canals, but the environmental impact of such projects on the ecosystem cannot be ignored. The central government claims that the MSTG link project will provide large benefits in irrigation, drinking water, and flood management to Assam, West Bengal, and Bihar. The projects envisage the diversion of 43 billion cubic metres (BCM) of “surplus water” from the Manas, Sonkosh, and intermediate rivers for augmenting the flow of the Ganga and providing 14 BCM of water to the Mahandi basin for further diversion to the south through the Peninsular Link System. National Water Development Agency data reveals that in the pre-feasibility report of the MSTG link completed in 1996, the proposal was initially planned through gravity and passes through Bhutan and Manas Tiger Reserve Forest and envisaged a 457-km-long link canal, out of which 114 km is from Manas to Sankosh, 137 km is from Sankosh to Teesta, and 206 km is from Teesta to Ganga. As the proposed alignment passes through Manas Tiger Reserve, Buxa Tiger Reserve, and other forest areas, the NWDA explored an alternative alignment avoiding various reserved forests. Completion of the feasibility report of MSTG link and its circulation among the states concerned in 2020 indicated that the project is very much on the card even though protests against it died down. Official documents show that the NWDA has prepared Draft Feasibility Report of MSTG link avoiding forest for three alternatives: with Sankosh dam only (Sankosh-Tista-Ganga link only) proposed as Phase-I considering both Manas and Sankosh dams (contribution of both the rivers are considered from the proposed new barrages on both the rivers in the downstream of proposed dams in Indian territory under phase II and the third alternative of without Manas dam but with Sankosh dam (contribution of both the rivers are considered from the proposed new barrages on both the rivers in the downstream of Sankosh dam and on Manas river in Indian territory).The link canal is proposed to be off-taken from the right flank of the proposed Manas barrage across the Manas River (about 3 km below the Manas Tiger Reserve boundary and 18 km downstream of the India-Bhutan border). Apprehensions over the proposed river linking project are triggered by the absence of adequate scientific data on the availability of water on the river Brahmaputra and its tributaries during the lean period. While the central government showcases the project to provide irrigation benefits to Assam and reduce flood intensity, climate change impacts resulting in extreme climate impacts such as a long dry spell due to a large departure from normal rainfall need to be factored in before rushing to a conclusion. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has already pressed the panic button and warned that if global warming exceeds 1.50 °C, many humans and natural systems will face additional severe risks. The IPCC has sounded the caution that even if warming is limited to 1.50C, multiple climate hazards will occur simultaneously, and multiple climatic and non-climatic risks will interact, resulting in compounded overall risks and risks cascading across sectors and regions. One of the worries arising from such risks is the availability of sufficient and normal rainfall for a state like Assam, which is dependent on rain-fed cultivation as well as underground water for the sustainability of agricultural practises for food and livelihood security. Climate extremes and departures from normal rainfall have already reduced the productivity of farmland and the sustainability of a large number of small and marginal farmers in the state, who account for the majority of farm families in the state. The environmental impact studies considering these climate change impacts not just for the current period but also factoring in long-term impacts on water availability in the entire Brahmaputra River basin will be a crucial factor influencing public opinion. The IPCC report and facts are already in the public domain and have shaped public perception and opinion about the importance of conservation of nature and the river ecosystem for future generations. It has become an urgent necessity, in this backdrop, that the central and state government as well as experts demystifies the proposed river link project and its impact on the river ecosystem, agriculture and livelihood. Putting all relevant data and facts in the public domain is the need of the hour.