In a befitting reply to Pakistan over threat of China to stop Brahmaputra water to India, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took to social media, calling Brahmaputra “a river that grows in India”. The Assam chief minister also argued that China contributes to only 30-35 per cent of the river’s total flow, while the remaining is generated in India.
CM Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote, “What if China stops Brahmaputra Water to India? A Response to Pakistan’s New Scare Narrative After India decisively moved away from the outdated Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistan is now spinning another manufactured threat: “What if China stops the Brahmaputra’s water to India?” Let’s dismantle this myth — not with fear, but with facts and national clarity: Brahmaputra: A River That Grows in India — Not Shrinks.”
CM Sarma wrote, “China contributes only ~30-35% of the Brahmaputra’s total flow, mostly through glacial melt and limited Tibetan rainfall. The remaining 65-70% is generated within India, thanks to: *Torrential monsoon rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, and Meghalaya *Major tributaries like Subansiri, Lohit, Kameng, Manas, Dhansiri, Jia-Bharali, Kopili *Additional inflows from the Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia Hills via rivers such as Krishnai, Digaru, and Kulsi.”
“At the Indo-China border (Tuting): Flow is ~2,000-3,000 m3/s. In Assam plains (e.g., Guwahati): Flow swells to 15,000-20,000 m3/s during monsoon. The Brahmaputra is not a river India depends on upstream — it is a rain-fed Indian river system, strengthened after entering Indian territory,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
“Even if China were to reduce water flow (unlikely as China has never threatened or indicated in any official forum), it may help India mitigate the annual floods in Assam, which displace lakhs and destroy livelihoods every year. Meanwhile, Pakistan, which has exploited 74 years of preferential water access under the Indus Waters Treaty, now panics as India rightfully reclaims its sovereign rights. Let’s remind them: Brahmaputra is not controlled by a single source — it is powered by our geography, our monsoon, and our civilizational resilience.”
Himanta Biswa Sarma’s comments came after Rana Ihsaan Afzal – a senior aide to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif – reportedly said that India suspended the flow of the River Indus to Pakistan and China can also do the same to India.