PASIGHAT, Oct 24 - Several hundred students from East Siang, Siang and Upper Siang districts of Arunachal Pradesh assembled at Pasighat town on Wednesday and staged a sit-in stir demanding a Water Treaty with China.
The student leaders said China has hatched a conspiracy against India thereby creating a terror in Arunachal and downstream Assam through man-made disasters.
The protesters also shouted slogans like �Bachao Bachaou, Siang Bachao�, �Save Siang, Save Arunachal�, �We Want Water Treaty� during the rally and registered their grievances against Chinese bullying and Central Government�s apathy towards the issue.
Addressing the rally, All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU) general secretary Tobom Dai rued that China has been using Siang water according to its whims but there has been no reaction from the Indian Government.
He alleged that the neighbouring country is exploiting the water resources, contaminated Siang water and even blocked it to create a terror in Arunachal Pradesh and downstream Assam but the Central Water Commission has not initiated any step to exploit Siang water,� Dai said.
�The recent unusual phenomenon such as change of water quality in Siang river and constant flood threat since last one and half year has been creating panic among the people living on both banks of the river. The recent flash flood caused by artificial lake in Tibet destroyed crops and household properties in three Siang districts besides leaving an ecological catastrophe in the region.
Chinese hand behind the unusual phenomenon and frequent calamity alert on the Siang river cannot be ruled out�, said visibly irritated Dai, while adding that the recent unprecedented flood in Siang has collapsed the aquatic ecosystems in Siang river basin.
Arunachal youth leader Mongol Yomso said the Union Government should realise that China has no right to exploit the natural water to show their power over India.
The protesters later submitted a memorandum to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh through East Siang Deputy Commissioner demanding a well-defined �Water Treaty� with China and to formulate a rigid water policy in order to protect Siang water.
