Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj said on Thursday, “The government is carefully monitoring the flow of the Brahmaputra for early detection of abnormalities and to ensure that corrective and preventive measures are taken.”
Replying to a written question in the Rajya Sabha, about whether the construction of dams by China on the tributaries of the Brahmaputra has contaminated its waters, the Minister said the Government has noted the Chinese foreign ministry’s statement denying such a link and that it was caused by an earthquake in the region and was not a man-made incident.
She also said India intends to ‘remain engaged with China on the issue of trans-border river’s to safeguard our interest, including through an institutionalized expert-level mechanism which was established in 2006,’
“As a lower riparian state with considerable established user rights to the water of the trans-border rivers, the Government has consistently conveyed its view and concerns to the Chinese authorities, at the highest levels and has urged them to ensure that the interests of downstream states are not harmed by any activities in upstream areas,” she said.
The Minister also said she also took up the issue with the Chinese foreign minister during his recent visit to India in December.
The Centre was in close cooperation with various State Governments, which use the waters of the Brahmaputra river, Swaraj added