GUWAHATI, Dec 14 - Neither the Assam government nor the Union government has made any request to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) or its northeastern wing, the North East Space Application Centre (NESAC), so far to determine, with the help of high resolution satellite imagery, the cause of Siang or Brahmaputra water turning abnormally turbid.
In the absence of such a bid on the part of the governments, ISRO and NESAC are facing problems in conducting a study of the situation with the help of satellite imagery, which may even be required to be procured from satellites owned and operated by other countries. �There is a formal procedure to conduct such studies. A formal request or instruction from the State government concerned or the Union government is essential to initiate the procedure,� highly informed sources here maintained.
This is despite the fact that for the greater interest of the country, such an initiative is considered essential by conscious circles as the water quality of the Siang and the Brahmaputra is of paramount importance for the people in this part of the country. Leaving the people at the mercy of those who are fond of guess work on such an issue of overriding importance cannot be described as an astute step on the part of the authorities concerned, opined several conscious people here.
Meanwhile, speculations over the issue of Siang/Brahmaputra water turning abnormally turbid have become bizarre. Some circles attribute the phenomenon to the diabolic act of Chinese authorities digging a tunnel to divert waters of the Yarlung Tsangpo. Some quarters have even used some �satellite imagery� of the US commercial space photography firm DigitalGlobe to blame China for this development.
Some other circles are attributing the phenomenon to some earthquake-induced incidents of massive landslide on the river, citing the November 17 quake of 6.9 magnitude that rocked the Nyingchi region of Tibet. But the conscious people here maintain that the assertions made by all these circles are far from being convincing.