Assam CM Hits Back at Pakistan, Says China’s Brahmaputra Moves Could Benefit India

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Vishwa Sharma has given a clear answer based on facts, rejecting the “fear” being created by Pakistan regarding the water of the Brahmaputra river. He said that the Brahmaputra “increases, does not decrease” in India and the apprehension of China stopping its flow is baseless. This statement came in the context of the statement of Rana Ehsan Afzal, advisor to Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, in which he warned that if India suspends the Indus Water Treaty, then China can also stop the water of Brahmaputra for India.

Afzal said in an interview to Geo News that if India takes steps to stop water towards Pakistan, then China can also do the same, due to which the whole world can come into a state of war. Reacting to this, Sharma wrote on the social media platform X that after India's withdrawal from the Indus Water Treaty, Pakistan is creating a new imaginary fear, raising the question 'What if China stops the water of Brahmaputra towards India?' This is a completely imaginary and factless idea.

Citing geographical and hydrological data, the Chief Minister said that only 30-35% of the total water flow of the Brahmaputra river comes from the Tibet region of China, which mainly depends on melting of glaciers and limited rainfall. He also clarified that 65-70% of the water flow of this river originates in India, in which heavy monsoon rains in the states of Northeast India like Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland and Meghalaya and its tributaries play an important role.

The Chief Minister said that the power of the Brahmaputra increases only after entering India. On the Indo-China border, its flow near Tuting is only 2,000 to 3,000 cubic metres per second, while in the plains of Assam, such as Guwahati, it reaches 15,000 to 20,000 cubic metres per second during the monsoon. He also said that if China reduces the flow of the Brahmaputra to some extent, it can benefit India, especially in the problem of floods that occur every year in Assam. It is noteworthy that China has not made any official statement regarding the Brahmaputra on any platform so far.

The Chief Minister of Assam said that every year lakhs of people are rendered homeless in Assam due to floods and their livelihood is affected. He also mentioned that if China stops the water flow even to a small extent, it can be helpful for India in flood control, although the possibility of this is very low. Himanta reminded Pakistan that it has had priority over India's waters for 74 years under the Indus Water Treaty, and now when India is taking steps towards reclaiming its sovereign rights, Pakistan is creating a false narrative. Finally, the Chief Minister clarified that the Brahmaputra is not controlled by any one source, but it flows due to the strength of our geography, monsoon and civilization.