Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Saturday said that the government of China is sharing information with India and the information is being passed on to the district administration in Siang belt of Arunachal Pradesh, after China told about a landslide blocking a river in Tibet leading to the formation of an artificial lake.
He added that all precautionary measures are being taken and it’s not a conspiracy. Rijiju informed that the Siang is a very big river and when there are some natural calamities like earthquakes or landslides, it possesses a danger to people who live downstream.
“Chinese govt is sharing information with Indian authorities and Indian authorities have shared information with district administration in Siang belt. All precautionary measures are being taken. You can’t say it’s a conspiracy. Siang river is a very big river & when there are some natural calamities like earthquakes or landslides, it possesses a danger to people who live downstream,” said Rijiju.
Earlier on Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had about the landslide blocking of Yarlung Zangbo/Brahmaputra River in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Districts along the Brahmaputra river in Arunachal Pradesh were put on high alert for possible flash floods. The MEA said that they are in constant touch with the Chinese side about updates on the landslide.
Based on the information provided by China, all relevant authorities of the Central and State governments have been informed about the emerging situation.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday directed authorities in districts bordering Arunachal Pradesh to “remain alert” for possible flash flood.
Sonowal has directed the authorities in Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur and Tinsukia districts to remain alert and take all possible steps to prevent any major catastrophe, a spokesman of the Chief Minister’s Office said here.
The Yarlung Tsangpo river is known as the Siang after it enters India at Arunachal Pradesh from the Tibetan region and is called the Brahmaputra once it reaches Assam.
Chinese Embassy spokesperson Counselor Ji Rong said that his country has activated the ‘Emergency Information Sharing Mechanism’ with India following the landslide on Wednesday morning near Jiala Village in Milin County in the lower ranges of Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet.
Yarlung Tsangpo river is called Siang when it enters Arunachal Pradesh and the Brahmaputra in Assam.
The Indian official said, “They (China) first informed us on Wednesday about the landslide and creation of an artificial lake. Water is over-topping (breaching). It will reach Arunachal Pradesh and cross the high flood level by Friday night.”
The reason cited behind the landslide was “natural causes”.
The official added that districts along Siang (Brahmaputra) in Arunachal Pradesh have been put on high alert.
The water will cross “high flood mark” and the situation is being monitored at the highest level, the official added.
“The data is being shared on an hourly basis,” the official said.
Ji said the Hydrological Bureau of Tibet Autonomous Region has begun to share with the Indian side hydrological information every hour, such as the water level and flow rate at the Nuxia hydrological station and the temporary hydrological station downstream of the barrier lake.
The Chinese side will closely monitor the situation of the barrier lake, and continue to notify the Indian side the follow-up developments through bilaterally agreed channels timely, he said.
The Chinese side has been keeping close communication with the Indian side on Yarlung Tsangpo River hydrological information, reflecting another positive gesture of implementing the Wuhan consensus between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ji said.
Source: Zee News