'What if China stops Brahmaputra water?' threatens Pakistan; Himanta responds
What's the story
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has dismissed a Pakistani official's threat that China can stop the flow of the Brahmaputra into India. He called it a "baseless attempt" to create panic over a hypothetical situation. In a detailed post on X, Sarma clarified that while the Brahmaputra originates in Tibet, its flow is predominantly bolstered by contributions from within India, making it less dependent on upstream control.
Flow facts
China's contribution to Brahmaputra's flow minimal, says Sarma
Sarma said China only contributes 30-35% of the Brahmaputra's total flow through glacial melt and limited rainfall on the Tibetan plateau. The rest, 65-70%, comes from within India due to monsoon rains and tributaries in Northeast India. He also highlighted that while the river flows at 2,000-3,000 cubic meters per second at the Indo-China border (Tuting), it swells to 15,000-20,000 cubic meters per second in Assam during monsoons.
Twitter Post
Read his full post here
What If China Stops Brahmaputra Water to India?
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) June 2, 2025
A Response to Pakistan’s New Scare Narrative
After India decisively moved away from the outdated Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistan is now spinning another manufactured threat:
“What if China stops the Brahmaputra’s water to India?”…
Flood relief
Sarma argues potential reduction in water flow could benefit India
Sarma also argued that if China were to reduce water flow, it could actually help India by reducing the frequent floods in Assam. He said China has never officially threatened to weaponize the Brahmaputra and dismissed such claims as speculative fear-mongering. The chief minister also took a dig at Pakistan for "panicking" over India's water sovereignty after benefiting from the Indus Waters Treaty.
Water sovereignty
Sarma concludes with strong statement on Brahmaputra's control
"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 wrote on X. Concluding his statement, Sarma said, "Brahmaputra is not controlled by a single source. It is powered by our geography, our monsoon, and our civilizational resilience."