Gogoi thanks PM for taking up dam issue with Chinese premier

Assam CM had voiced his serious concerns over water flows of trans-border rivers

Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi has thanked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for taking up the matter of construction of dams by China on the Brahmaputra river with his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang during the latter's recent visit to New Delhi.

Gogoi said he had voiced his serious concerns over water flows of trans-border rivers, especially in view of construction of three additional dams approved by China on the Brahmaputra river during his recent meetings with the Singh in New Delhi. Gogoi said he was happy that the prime minister had taken up the matter in right earnest with his counterpart and also with the Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of Durban BRICS summit in March this year.

During his meetings with his Chinese premier in national capital, Singh had raised the issue of India's concern over the construction of dams in Tiber region and that the dams would affect water flow to India. However, China maintained that the three dam projects at Dagu, Jiacha and Jiexu in Tibet region were just run-off-the-river project that would not hold water. India is also concerned with the construction of dam projects like Zangmu , Lengda, Zhongda and Langzhen.

"Prime minister's bold stance on the dam issue would allay the apprehensions from the minds of the people of the state in particular and the North-East region as a whole," said Gogoi.