Guwahati: China has told the Centre that
construction of dam at the source of the river Brahmaputra in
its territory will not have negative impact downstream in
India, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said on Thursday.
"China has told the Central government that there will be
no negative impact downstream in India and so there is nothing
to fear here. However, we have to be vigilant about the
development," Gogoi told reporters here.
The Chinese assurance came when the Prime Minister took up
the matter with Beijing after Assam government drew his
attention to the issue in 2006, he said.
Gogoi said, "We will urge the Centre to have a water
sharing information treaty with China. We will also study the
downstream impact of the Chinese project."
To BJP leader Rajnath Singh`s assertion that the country
should give permission for only small dams in the highly
seismic North Eastern region, Gogoi accused the party of
having double standards as the erstwhile BJP-led Central
government had sanctioned mega dams which were converted to
single purpose power dams.
"They have double standards. The BJP and AGP which
supported mega dams are now realising their negative impact
and waking up," Gogoi said.
On multi-purpose dam for the Lower Subansiri
hydro-electric project at Gerukamukh in Arunachal Pradesh,
Gogoi said, "If it benefits us here, then why should we oppose
it? If it has negative effect here then we will have to force
Arunachal Pradesh to stop the project.
"We will not cooperate and will prevent those projects
that harm us. We have asked the Centre to examine all central,
state and private projects that harm Assam. We have also asked
for law on it," he said.
The chief minister also claimed that he had written to
the then NDA government about the illegal foreigners problem
in the state, but it took no action.
PTI
