In a fiery rebuttal to Pakistan’s latest water-war rhetoric, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma dismantled Islamabad’s claim that China could weaponize the Brahmaputra River against India. His response comes after a senior aide to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned that India’s move to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) could push China to block the Brahmaputra’s flow to India.
Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Sarma called out the “manufactured threat” and labeled Pakistan’s fear-mongering as baseless and deceptive.
“After India decisively moved away from the outdated Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistan is now spinning another manufactured threat: ‘What if China stops the Brahmaputra’s water to India?’” he posted.
Himanta Unloads Facts on Pakistan’s Fiction
In a series of sharp statements, Sarma provided a fact-based takedown of Pakistan’s claims. Citing geographical and hydrological data, he asserted that only 30–35% of Brahmaputra’s water originates from China — primarily from glacial melt and sparse rainfall in Tibet.
The real force of the river comes after it enters Indian territory, where 65–70% of its flow is fed by heavy monsoon rains and a vast network of tributaries across Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, and Nagaland.
“At the Indo-China border (Tuting), the river’s flow is about 2,000–3,000 m³/s. By the time it reaches Guwahati, that surges to 15,000–20,000 m³/s during the monsoon,” Sarma noted.
He emphasized that India’s monsoons, terrain, and tributaries are the Brahmaputra’s real lifeline, not China’s highlands.
“China Blocking Brahmaputra? It Could Actually Help Assam”
Taking the argument further, Sarma flipped Pakistan’s fear narrative on its head, saying that any hypothetical reduction in Brahmaputra’s flow by China might actually benefit Assam by easing its catastrophic annual floods.
“Even if China were to reduce the flow (which they’ve never threatened to do), it may help mitigate Assam’s devastating floods that displace lakhs every year,” he said.
Strong Words for Pakistan: “Stop Using China to Threaten Us”
Sarma didn’t mince words, calling out Pakistan’s panic over India’s sovereign decision to suspend the IWT after the Pahalgam terror attack. Despite a May 10 ceasefire “understanding,” India has kept the treaty in abeyance, citing national interest.
“Pakistan — which enjoyed 74 years of preferential water access — is now rattled as India asserts its rights,” the Chief Minister said.
Sarma wrapped up his remarks with a powerful message:
“The Brahmaputra is not controlled by a single source. It is powered by India’s geography, monsoons, and civilisational strength. India is not vulnerable like Pakistan. We don’t depend on China for our rivers.”
Conclusion: Rhetoric Meets Reality
With his bold, fact-backed stance, Himanta Biswa Sarma has set the record straight on India’s control over the Brahmaputra and issued a clear warning to Pakistan: Do not use China to bluff or intimidate us. India is prepared, aware, and sovereign.
