China sharing information: Rijiju on Brahmaputra blockage

Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Saturday said that the Chinese government is sharing information regarding the Brahmaputra river blockage with the Indian authorities, which is being passed on to the district administration in Siang belt of Arunachal Pradesh. The blockage in the river is due to a landslide in Tibet.

The spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India, Counsellor Ji Rong, on Friday said that India was immediately informed about the landslide which occurred on October 17 in the lower ranges of Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet and caused a river blockage on the Indian side. He informed that the river was blocked, and a barrier lake was formed due to the landslide.

Rijiju, responding to media queries on the issue, said that all precautionary measures are being taken and alerts have been issued in parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

He said, "Siang river, which is known as Tsangpo in Tibet, is a very big river. When there are some natural calamities like earthquakes or landslides, it poses a danger to people who live downstream. The Chinese government is sharing information with Indian authorities, which is being passed on to the district administration in Siang belt. All precautionary measures are being taken."

Rijiju further informed that the district administration has been advising people not to venture out on river banks for fishing or other activities. "Because it is a natural phenomenon, there is a huge landslide that has blockaded the normal course of river flow. So there is some disturbance in the flow of the Siang river. The district administration is keeping everything on track and advising people not to venture out on river banks for fishing and other things in the event of a sudden outburst of the river," Rijiju said.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar earlier said that all relevant authorities of the central government and concerned state governments have been apprised about the emerging situation to enable them to take necessary precautionary measures, while stating that both the countries are in regular contact over the Brahmaputra river blockage.

Yarlung Zangbo river, originating at the southeast of Mount Kailash and Manasarovar in Tibet, is the upper stream of the Brahmaputra river. It later flows through the South Tibet Valley and Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon before passing into the state of Arunachal Pradesh in India. The river is known as Siang in Arunachal Pradesh and after reaching Assam, it is called Brahmaputra.