Sarma Slams China’s Brahmaputra Blockade Theory as Pakistani Propaganda
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has categorically dismissed the emerging fear narrative that China could weaponize the Brahmaputra River by cutting off its flow to India. Reacting sharply to claims amplified by Pakistani sources, Sarma called it “an orchestrated scare campaign” and assured that India’s control over the river remains secure and sufficient.
Brahmaputra Is Predominantly Indian-Fed
Sarma clarified that the Brahmaputra is not fully dependent on Tibetan water sources. “Approximately 65 to 70 percent of the water in Brahmaputra is generated within India,” he noted, emphasizing the contributions of monsoon rains and several tributaries flowing through Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Meghalaya. Rivers like Subansiri, Lohit, Kameng, Manas, Dhansiri, Jia-Bharali, and Kopili—all of which join the Brahmaputra within India—make the river heavily rain-fed on the Indian side.
At the Indo-China border, the river flows at around 2,000–3,000 cubic meters per second. This rises to as much as 15,000–20,000 cubic meters per second once it enters Assam during peak monsoon season, Sarma noted, underscoring that upstream manipulation by China would have limited impact.
Dismissing the ‘Pakistani Fantasy’
Calling the threat narrative a “new Pakistani fantasy,” Sarma wrote on platform X that such propaganda is being pushed to sow doubts within India. He remarked that even in the hypothetical scenario where China restricts some water flow, it might actually benefit Assam by slightly reducing the devastating annual floods.
Sarma also drew attention to Pakistan’s long-standing advantages under the Indus Waters Treaty. “Now that India is asserting its sovereign rights, Pakistan is panicking and planting scare stories,” he asserted.
Political Motives Behind the Misinformation
Sarma’s statement comes in response to Pakistan’s attempt to draw parallels between India’s water policy in Kashmir and the hypothetical risk China poses to India’s northeast. His remarks aim to dismantle the credibility of such comparisons and reinforce India’s confidence in its own hydrological and geographical resilience.
By shooting down the manufactured threat of Chinese water warfare, Sarma not only restored public confidence in Assam but also underscored the need to counter geopolitical misinformation with facts and clarity.
