India conveys concern to China over dam constructions on brahama putra river

  India on Tuesday said that it has conveyed its "views and concerns" to the Chinese authorities over the dam construction on Brahamaputra river which would adversely affect the country as a lower riparian state. India's Water Resources Minister Harish Rawat told the upper house of the parliament that Government of India was monitoring the various developments on the Brahmaputra River by the Chinese government. "The recently released Outline of the 12th Five Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People's Republic of China' indicates that three dam projects on the main stream of the Brahmaputra River in Tibet Autonomous Region have been approved for implementation by the Chinese Authorities," Rawat said. He said as a lower riparian State with considerable established user rights to the waters of the River, "India has conveyed its views and concerns to the Chinese authorities". India has urged China to ensure that the interests of downstream States are not harmed by any activities in upstream areas. The minister said that head of north-eastern and eastern states of India have written letters to the federal government expressing their concern regarding the river diversion projects undertaken by china. The Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh had written to the External Affairs Minister on 11th October, 2010 regarding the River Water Diversion Project in China. Chief Minister of Assam had also written to the External Affairs Minister on 15th June, 2011 conveying concern of the people of Assam regarding reports about the construction of a dam in the upper reaches of river Brahmaputra in China. Besides this, Governor of Bihar also had written to the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India on 27th Feburary, 2012 expressing concern on construction activity by China on the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra river in Tibet Autonomous Region," the minister said The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary major river of Asia. The river originates from Angsi Glacier, located on the northern side of the Himalayas in Burang County of China's Tibet Autonomous Region. It flows across southern Tibet to finally run through the Himalayas into Arunachal Pradesh in India.