Brahmaputra Bluff Called Out: Himanta Biswa Sarma Blasts Pakistan's Attempt To Spin China Threat With Fact-Based Rebuttal

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has thoroughly debunked Pakistan's latest scare narrative, which posits that China could possibly stop the Brahmaputra River's water flow to India in response to the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty. CM Himanta's response was a masterclass in clarity and national confidence, as he methodically dismantled the myth with facts and figures, as Pakistan desperately attempted to divert attention from its own internal crisis by spreading absurd assertions on Brahmaputra water flow. 

Himanta Biswa Sarma's response on Brahmaputra dismantled Pakistan's latest scare-mongering tactics. He categorically explained why China's action of holding water of the Brahmaputra could instead help India geographically, rather than bringing chaos due to a water crisis. 

In a post on X, the Assam Chief Minister explained that the Brahmaputra River's flow is predominantly contributed by Indian territory, with China accounting for only 30-35% of the total flow through glacial melt and limited Tibetan rainfall. The remaining 65-70% of the flow is generated within India, owing to the torrential monsoon rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, and Meghalaya, as well as major tributaries like Subansiri, Lohit, Kameng, Manas, Dhansiri, Jia-Bharali, and Kopili.

'India Doesn't Depend On Brahmaputra's Upstream'

The Assam CM further stated that the Brahmaputra River's flow increases significantly as it enters Indian territory. "At the Indo-China border, the flow is ~2,000-3,000 m³/s, but it swells to 15,000-20,000 m³/s during the monsoon season in the Assam plains," Sarma said. "This demonstrates that the Brahmaputra is not a river that India depends on upstream; rather, it is a rain-fed Indian river system that is strengthened after entering Indian territory," he added.

Even If China Were To Reduce….: CM Himanta 

Chief Minister Himanta also pointed out that even if China were to reduce the water flow (which is unlikely, given that China has never threatened or indicated such intentions in any official forum), it may actually help India mitigate the annual floods in Assam, which displace lakhs and destroy livelihoods every year.

The Assam CM slammed Pakistan's claims as "nothing short of laughable," given the country's own track record of exploiting preferential water access under the Indus Waters Treaty for 74 years. "Now, as India rightfully reclaims its sovereign rights, Pakistan panics and resorts to fabricating threats," he said.

The chief minister asserted that the Brahmaputra River is not controlled by a single source; rather, it is powered by India's geography, monsoon, and civilisational resilience. "Let's remind them: Brahmaputra is not controlled by a single source — it is powered by our geography, our monsoon, and our civilisational resilience," he said.