Amid reports of China's plans to build a major dam on the Brahmaputra, India on Thursday said it is "carefully monitoring" all developments related to the river. Also, New Delhi intends to maintain dialogue on the issue of rivers flowing across the border to protect its interests.
The Brahmaputra River is known as Yarlung Sangpo in China. It originates from Tibet and flows through Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Anurag Shrivastava said in a press conference that China has made India aware on several occasions that it is only operating hydroelectric projects on the river and does not include diverting the water flow of Brahmaputra.
In fact, he was asked about media reports about China's plan to build a large dam in the river's lower flow area in Tibet. Srivastava said that we have taken cognizance of some of the media reports about this. The government is carefully monitoring all developments on the Brahmaputra River.
A spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs noted that issues related to rivers flowing on both sides of the border have been discussed with China under institutional expert level mechanisms and through diplomatic channels.
Srivastava said that we intend to maintain a dialogue with China on the issues of rivers flowing across the border to protect our interests.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman said that the government was constantly aware of its views and concerns about the government having the right to use the waters of the rivers flowing across the border and the lower area (country) of the river's water flow. Has been made and requested to ensure that the lower regions (countries) of the river's water flow are not harmed by any activities in the upper regions.
In Beijing, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that there is no need to be concerned about the project in any way and that Beijing's 'good dialogue' with the river's low-flow countries - India and Bangladesh - will continue.
When asked about China's plans to build a dam on the river near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) near Arunachal Pradesh, where the Brahmaputra enters India, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying told a press conference on Thursday. As far as the use of rivers flowing on both sides of the border is concerned, it is a legitimate right for China to set up a hydroelectric project in the low-flow area of Yarlung Zangbo.