'Two Scientific Views': Why Assam CM Is Not Worried About China's Brahmaputra Dam Project
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma downplays concerns over China's Brahmaputra dam, citing multiple water sources. He trusts the central government to handle discussions with China.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday tried to downplay the immediate concerns over China's construction of the world's largest dam on the Brahmaputra River, saying there is no immediate cause for worry.
Addressing reporters in Guwahati, CM Sarma noted that the Brahmaputra is not dependent on a single water source, with much of its flow coming from Bhutan, Arunachal Pradesh, and rainfall within Assam.
'I am not immediately worried because Brahmaputra is a mighty river and it is not dependent on a single source (of water)," news agency PTI quoted Sarma as saying.
China last week officially launched the $167.8 billion-project in Tibet near the Arunachal Pradesh border. Once complete, the five-stage hydropower project will generate over 300 billion kWh of electricity annually—enough to power over 300 million people—and surpass the scale of China's Three Gorges Dam.
Sarma acknowledged uncertainty about the dam's effects, pointing out that scientific opinions vary.
'First — if Brahmaputra's flow is disturbed by China, then there may be less water and consequently biodiversity will be affected. But there is also a counter view that if less water comes, it will also act as a flood cushioning. So, I don't know which one is correct," he said, adding that the central government is better placed to review the implications.
'I am sure that they (Centre) must already be having a discussion with China or will have a discussion with the neighbouring country," he added.
Meanwhile, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu in the past expressed serious concerns over China's mega project, calling it ticking 'water bomb".
He termed China's project an existential threat and a bigger issue than anything else apart from the military threat.
'The issue is that China cannot be trusted. No one knows what they might do," he told PTI.
The Brahmaputra, known as Yarlung Zangbo in Tibet, flows through one of the world's most seismically active and rain-heavy regions. Its course takes a U-turn before entering Arunachal Pradesh and then Assam, raising concerns in India and Bangladesh about flood control and water security.
India is also building a dam on the river in Arunachal. Talks on trans-border river data sharing between India and China are ongoing under the Expert Level Mechanism (ELM).
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