The Assam government will take up with the Centre reports of construction of hydropower dams on the Brahmaputra in China, state water resources minister Keshab Mahanta assured the Assembly on Wednesday.

“It’s a matter of concern and needs detailed discussion. I want to assure the House that the department will take it up with the Centre after discussing it with the chief minister,” the minister said, adding that the issue of China building hydropower dams over the Brahmaputra (known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in China) was an international subject and beyond the domain of the state government.

Mahanta was replying to concerns raised in the House by BJP MLA Ashok Singhal and AIUDF legislator Aminul Islam over reports that China was constructing dams on the upper stream of the Brahmaputra. They said the river’s water was found to be heavily polluted from time to time and that the constructions threaten the river.

Singhal claimed to have information that China was building mega dams and projects for diverting the river, which would adversely affect riparian Assam.

“China has been constructing dams and diverting the river’s waters since 1958. According to information, China has been working to divert the river’s water from its southern to northern side since 2000. Since it will affect our future and is an international issue, the state government needs to take up the matter with the Centre immediately,” Singhal said.

Mahanta said similar concerns were raised in 2017 and the Centre had taken up the matter with China, which refuted allegations of building dams and tunnels and agreed to share river data with India on a regular basis. In 2013 and 2015, the two countries had signed two agreements on sharing of hydrological data of the Brahmaputra between May 15 and October 15 every year. Sharing of the data by upper riparian country China to lower riparian countries India and Bangladesh is essential every monsoon to allow anticipation of the flow of the water and taking of necessary measures to deal with floods.

Mahanta said, “In 2017 too, when there were reports of turbidity in the river’s water, we had shared our concerns with the Centre. After the Centre took up the matter with China, the neighbouring country had informed that it had happened because of landslides at several locations in the upper stream. Last month, there were reports of turbidity in the river’s waters at several locations in Upper Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The state government has already conducted tests on the river’s water and found it to be safe.”

The Yarlung Tsangpo originates in the Tibetan Himalayas and enters India as the Siang in far-eastern Arunachal Pradesh before flowing down to Assam as the Brahmaputra. The river finally empties into the Bay of Bengal through Bangladesh, where it is called the Padma.