Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has sternly countered a water-related scare narrative by Pakistan, dismissing it as a baseless attempt to stir fear over a hypothetical situation over Bramhaputa River. Sarma was responding to a claim on social media – “What if China stops the Bramhaputra’s water to India?”
Sarma urged for a fact-based approach to dispel fears about China's control over the Brahmaputra, stating that the river gains volume within India and does not shrink due to upstream activity.
"Let's dismantle this myth, not with fear, but with facts and national clarity," he said in a post on X.
Brahmaputra: A river that grows in India — not shrinks
In a fact-based rebuttal, Sarma highlighted that China contributes only about 30–35% of the Brahmaputra’s total flow, mainly through glacial melt and limited Tibetan rainfall. The remaining 65–70% is generated within India.
He listed the major contributors to this volume:
Torrential monsoon rainfall across Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, and Meghalaya
Tributaries including Subansiri, Lohit, Kameng, Manas, Dhansiri, Jia-Bharali, and Kopili
Additional inflows from the Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia Hills via rivers like Krishnai, Digaru, and Kulsi
Providing technical detail, Sarma added that while the river's flow at the Indo-China border (Tuting) is around 2,000–3,000 m³/s, it swells to 15,000–20,000 m³/s in the Assam plains during the monsoon.
“The Brahmaputra is not a river India depends on upstream — it is a rain-fed Indian river system, strengthened after entering Indian territory,” he wrote.
"Even if China reduces flow, it may actually help India"
Sarma also pointed out that the hypothetical scenario of China reducing Brahmaputra’s flow might even benefit India.
“Even if China were to reduce water flow (unlikely as China has never threatened or indicated in any official forum), it may actually help India mitigate the annual floods in Assam, which displace lakhs and destroy livelihoods every year,” he said.
A message to Pakistan
In a clear message to Pakistan, Sarma accused the neighbouring country of creating panic after India’s strategic shift on the Indus Waters Treaty.
“Pakistan — which has exploited 74 years of preferential water access under the Indus Waters Treaty — now panics as India rightfully reclaims its sovereign rights,” he said.
Ending his message on a note of resilience, Sarma asserted “The Brahmaputra is not controlled by a single source — it is powered by our geography, our monsoon, and our civilisational resilience.”