Pakistan’s ‘what if China stops Brahmaputra flow’ threat gets curt Himanta Biswa Sarma response

In response to a Pakistani official’s warning that China could stop the flow of the Brahmaputra River into India, Assam’s chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday termed the statement as Islamabad’s latest “scare tactic” and mentioned that the river increases after crossing into India. He stated that China accounts for merely 30-35 percent of the river’s overall flow.

Sarma’s reply followed comments from a high-ranking assistant to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Rana Ihsaan Afzal, who allegedly mentioned that, similar to India’s halt of the Indus Waters Treaty, China could also respond by obstructing the river’s flow.

Himanta Biswa Sarma said Pakistan is “spinning another manufactured threat”.

“What if China stops the Brahmaputra Water to India? A Response to Pakistan’s New Scare Narrative. After India decisively moved away from the outdated Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistan is now spinning another manufactured threat: What if China stops the Brahmaputra’s water to India? Let’s dismantle this myth — not with fear, but with facts and national clarity: Brahmaputra: A River That Grows in India — Not Shrinks,” he wrote on X.

Himanta Biswa Sarma said the Brahmaputra swells after entering India because of torrential monsoon rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland and Meghalaya.

“China contributes only 30-35% of the Brahmaputra’s total flow, mostly through glacial melt and limited Tibetan rainfall. The remaining 65-70% is generated within India, thanks to: Torrential monsoon rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, and Meghalaya; major tributaries like Subansiri, Lohit, Kameng, Manas, Dhansiri, Jia-Bharali, Kopili; and additional inflows from the Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia Hills via rivers such as Krishnai, Digaru, and Kulsi,” he said.

He said the river is not dependent on upstream flow because it is a rain-fed Indian river system, which strengthens after entering Indian territory.

“Even if China were to reduce water flow (unlikely as China has never threatened or indicated in any official forum), it may help India mitigate the annual floods in Assam, which displace lakhs and destroy livelihoods every year,” he added.