Assam: A single source can’t keep Brahmaputra flowing, says CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma said that no single source can control the Brahmaputra. It is a rain-fed Indian river system strengthened after entering the Indian territory, he said.

The Chief Minister said this while rubbishing gossip from Pakistan after India suspended the Indus Water Treaty. Pakistani gossip mills question what will happen to India if China diverts the Brahmaputra in the upstream.

The Chief Minister said, “Pakistan should know this eternal truth – although China has not given any threat from the government level – it will help India if China holds the water of the Brahmaputra, especially during the monsoon, as that will help us in controlling floods that affect millions of people every year.”

The Chief Minister said, “The Brahmaputra gets around 30-35 per cent of its water from China. The bulk of this water comes from glacier melts and Tibet Valley rainfall. The mighty river gets the rest of the water from Indian territory due to torrential rains in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, and Meghalaya, besides a network of tributaries like the Sunbansiri, Lohit, Kameng, Manas, Shansiri, Jia Bharali, Krishnai, Digaru, Kulsi, etc. The Brahmaputra is not a river India depends on upstream – it is a rain-fed Indian river system, strengthened after entering the Indian territory.”

The Chief Minister also said that the flow of the Brahmaputra on the India-China border is 2,000-3,000 cubic metre per second. “On the contrary, during the monsoon in Guwahati, it increases from 15,000 to 20,000 cubic metre per second. The rains of India keep the Brahmaputra full of water,” he said.

On the other hand, Pakistan, which exploited 74 years of preferential water access under the Indus Water Treaty, now panics as India rightfully reclaimed its sovereign rights.

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