Will protect our interests: India on China's plan to build dam on Brahmaputra

Days after China announced its plan to build a mega dam on Brahmaputra river in Tibet, India on Friday said it will continue to monitor and take necessary measures to protect its interests.

In its first reaction to the proposed dam, New Delhi urged Beijing to ensure that the interests of downstream states of the Brahmaputra are not harmed by activities in upstream areas.

“We will continue to monitor and take necessary measures to protect our interests,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

There have been apprehensions that the dam will have adverse impact on Arunachal Pradesh as well as Assam.

“As a lower riparian state with established user rights to the waters of the river, we have consistently expressed, through expert-level as well as diplomatic channels, our views and concerns to the Chinese side over mega projects on rivers in their territory,” Jaiswal said.

“These have been reiterated, along with the need for transparency and consultation with downstream countries, following the latest report,” he said.

“The Chinese side has been urged to ensure that the interests of downstream states of the Brahmaputra are not harmed by activities in upstream areas,” he added.