New Delhi:
China has denied the reports that it is planning to construct a 1,000 km long tunnel to divert the water of Brahmaputra River to a location close to the Indian border.
When asked about the report, foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said, “This is a false report.”
“China will continue to attach great importance to cross-border river cooperation,” she added.
It was on Monday that South China Morning Post had reported that more than 100 Chinese engineers were working on testing techniques that could be used to build the tunnel. It also reported that the tunnel would be the world’s longest.
The media report said water would be diverted from Yarlung Tsangpo river in southern Tibet to Taklimakan desert in Xinjiang.
Indian media too widely reported the matter because of the possible impact such a project would have on India’s northeastern states.
The South China Morning Post further reported that Chinese scientists have been working hard on the reported plan. It said though it was a massive project, it was only a matter of time before it would be implemented.
The Tsangpo flows from China into India through Arunachal Pradesh as the Siang before becoming the Brahmaputra in Assam.
The project which was submitted to the government in March was reported to be in the blueprint stage but could trigger a serious water crisis in India’s northeast if it is implemented as the Tsangpo is an upper riparian river.
The Brahmaputra is regarded as the lifeline of northeast India.
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