Our Bureau
Guwahati
The Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma has come out to deter the scare that Pakistan is trying to create regarding the flow of the river Brahmaputra. In a tweet that he posted from his official handle on Monday, Mr. Sarma refuted Pakistan’s claims and stated that it was just a ‘baseless attempt’.
Mr. Sarma posted the rebuttal on X, saying that he would talk based on facts and national clarity and would erase this myth created by Pakistan. He clarified that Brahmaputra is a river that grows in India and doesn’t shrink here. He corrected Pakistan that it is not China that holds the major part of the river but rather India which holds 65% to 70% of the river.
The river grows in India as it is generated through the torrential monsoon of the Northeastern states. Brahmaputra is also supported by major tributaries like Subansiri, Lohit, Kameng, Manas, Dhansiri, Jia-Bharali, Kopili. The inflows from other hills and rivers also help the river grow largely. Whereas the flow of the river from China is majorly controlled by glacial melt and limited rainfall over the Tibetan plateau.
Himanta Sarma added, “The Brahmaputra is not a river India depends on upstream — it is a rain-fed Indian river system, strengthened after entering Indian territory.”
Sarma also stated facts adding the hydrological data in his post and stating that the Brahmaputra river at the Indo-China border at Tuting flows at an average of 2,000 and 3,000 cubic metres per second. While in Assam the river’s flow increases drastically helped by the Indian monsoon. The river flows at around 15,000 to 20,000 cubic metres per second in Assam plains like Guwahati.
Sarma slammed Pakistan’s attempt at causing a scare in India and stated, “Even if China were to reduce water flow (unlikely as China has never threatened or indicated in any official forum), it may actually help India mitigate the annual floods in Assam, which displace lakhs and destroy livelihoods every year.”
He emphasized that Pakistan is in a state of panic after India’s stance on the Indus Waters Treaty and that is why they are trying to create such false narratives. They should remember that Brahmaputra is not controlled by a single source but is powered by India’s geography and monsoon.
