Upstream diversion has negligible impact on Brahmaputra River: Board Chairman

Agartala (Tripura) [India], April 12 (ANI): Brahmaputra Board Chairman Rajiv Yadav on Monday said that the upstream diversion of water flow of the Brahmaputra river will have a negligible impact on the river's total discharge as more than 60 per cent of the water source is in India.
"The matter does not come under our jurisdiction but still, I am giving a scientific basis of the issue. More than 60 per cent of Brahmaputra comes from Arunachal Pradesh and other tributaries located in India. If there is any diversion in the upstream flow, the impact will be negligible," said Yadav.
The Brahmaputra Board, a statutory body under the Ministry of Jal Shakti works in the sector of flood and soil erosion management in the Brahmaputra basin. The body also takes up master plans for rivers of the whole North-Eastern region.
The Chairman said that decisions had been taken to prepare Master Plans for the Manu and Howrah rivers of Tripura.
According to the Chairman, comprehensive steps will be taken to update existing studies on river health.
"We have decided to conduct fresh studies on the condition of river health given the changing rainfall patterns. Master plans are being prepared for River Manu to Howrah for prevention of soil erosion and flood management," Yadav said.
He also informed that capacity-building workshops would be carried out here in the state on how to draft projects suitable to get accepted by the central government.
"We want to make sure that all the officials of the state government become capable of tackling the problems of the state and make projects that are acceptable by the central government," he added. (ANI)