'Baseless attempt', says Assam CM after Pakistan stir fear over Brahmaputra

Guwahati, June 3 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday countered Pakistan’s latest water-related scare narrative, calling it a ‘baseless attempt’ to stir fear over a hypothetical scenario involving the Brahmaputra River.

In a strongly worded post on X, Sarma responded to the claim, “What if China stops the Brahmaputra’s water to India?” by laying out a fact-based rebuttal.

“Let’s dismantle this myth, not with fear, but with facts and national clarity,” Sarma wrote, pointing out that the Brahmaputra is a river that grows in India, not one that shrinks due to upstream control.

According to the Chief Minister, China contributes only about 30 to 35 per cent of the river’s total flow, primarily from glacial melt and limited rainfall over the Tibetan plateau. The remaining 65 to 70 per cent of the river's volume is generated within India through monsoon rains and inflows from its numerous tributaries in the Northeast.

Citing hydrological data, Sarma noted that while the river’s flow at the Indo-China border (Tuting) averages between 2,000 and 3,000 cubic metres per second, it dramatically increases to 15,000–20,000 m³/s in Assam during the monsoon, evidence of India’s dominant contribution to the river’s volume.

“The Brahmaputra is not a river India depends on upstream. It is a rain-fed Indian river system, strengthened after entering Indian territory,” he added.

Sarma further argued that even in the unlikely event of China reducing water flow, the move might actually benefit India by alleviating the recurring floods in Assam that displace hundreds of thousands each year.

He asserted that China has never officially threatened to weaponise the Brahmaputra and dismissed the suggestion as speculative fear-mongering.

Taking a swipe at Pakistan, Sarma remarked that the country, which has long benefited from the Indus Waters Treaty, is now “panicking” as India reclaims its rightful water sovereignty.

“Brahmaputra is not controlled by a single source. It is powered by our geography, our monsoon, and our civilisational resilience,” he concluded.

--IANS

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