Govt to take up Brahmaputra dam issue with China

NEW DELHI: With the National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) confirming that China had started construction at the Zangmu site on the Brahmaputra, the government is under increased pressure to take up the matter with China.

At the last meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had raised the issue with Chinese premier Wen Jiabao. But the Chinese side had denied any plans to build a dam on the Brahmaputra.

However, the NRSA findings of construction activity in and around the site has renewed concerns about China���s intention and on the fallout on India. New Delhi is no wiser about Beijing���s plans at the site where construction activity could mean anything from a water storage facility to a dam.

But with NRSA data pointing to construction activity, the government would seek clarifications with China on the matter.

When asked about China���s plans, foreign secretary Nirupama Rao said Beijing had repeatedly denied any construction activity on the site.

���What I want to say is that this matter has been taken up not just once but on a number of occasions with China and China has consistently denied that it is engaged in any such construction activity on the Brahmaputra,��� she said.

Ms Rao further called India-China relations ���complex��� and maintained that the dialogue with China would get ���more substance and more relevance��� in the years to come.