NEW DELHI, Dec 8 - Notwithstanding uproar in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, the Government of India is yet to raise the issue of massive contamination of Siang and Brahmaputra rivers with China and is still waiting to ascertain �facts�.
Replying to questions, Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Raveesh Kumar said: �Let us not jump to conclusion. First ascertain the details of the fact of the matter, which we are doing.
�Once we get the facts about the issue, as to why it is happening, then we can move to the second stage of whether we take it up with the concerned government,� Kumar said. �There is an existing mechanism on exchange of hydrological data on cross-border rivers, which is an important part of the functional cooperation we have with China. There are also other institutional mechanisms to exchange views on issues of mutual concern,� he said.
While the MEA is ascertaining the facts, politics over the issue has heated up, with former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today threatening to launch an �Save Brahmaputra, Save Assam� agitation with the people of the State.
Addressing newsmen here this afternoon, Gogoi, accompanied by Lok Sabha MP and his son Gaurav Gogoi, said that Brahmaputra River is considered as Assam�s lifeline, which has a massive influence on the State�s economic and political life.
�China has been trying to undertake construction work on Brahmaputra to divert water of the river. The Government of Assam should take the matter seriously,� he suggested.
Criticizing the Sonowal government he alleged that the State government has not been able to take up the problem at the highest level in the Government of India. �Merely writing letters to the Centre will not yield results,� the former Chief Minister.
Recalling his reign, he said that he had taken up the issue of China�s bid to divert the river with the then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and urged him to take up the matter with China. The Prime Minister had then taken up the matter with the Chinese President, he said. �The matter has to be taken up with our Prime Minister, who should take it up with his Chinese counterpart,� said Gogoi
India and China have a hydrological data sharing agreement, but India should now try to have a water-sharing agreement with China, he said.
�There were reports recently that China is trying to construct a tunnel to divert water of the Brahmaputra and this has been proved by the pollution of Siang and Brahmaputra rivers. There should be an international treaty so that the lower riparian States are not affected,� said Gogoi.
�It�s unfortunate that our Prime Minister has not taken up the matter with China,� he said.
He also ridiculed the BJP for putting in its entire effort on cleaning Ganga River. What about cleaning Brahmaputra River, he asked.
�Sarbanada Sonowal�s �Namami Brahmaputra� campaign will not mean much if he is unable to save Brahmaputra River,� said Gogoi. �It is apparent that there is a lack of coordination with Government of India,� he said.
