Carefully monitoring all developments on Brahmaputra: MEA

Amidst reports that China plans to build a major dam on the Brahmaputra, India on Thursday said it “carefully monitors” all developments relating to the river, and that it intend to remain engaged with China on the issue of trans-border rivers to safeguard its interests. The Brahmaputra river, known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in China, originates from Tibet and flows into Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

At a media briefing, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the Chinese side has conveyed to India on several occasions that it was only undertaking run-of-the-river hydropower projects, which do not involve diversion of the waters of the Brahmaputra. He was asked about media reports that China will build a ‘super dam’ on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangbo river in Tibet.

“We have taken note of some media reports in this regard. Government carefully monitors all developments on the Brahmaputra river,” Srivastava said.