China

Arunachal river turns black, officials blame China’s ‘1000km Brahmaputra tunnel’

In a shocking development that may lead to environmental crisis in Arunachal Pradesh, water of Siang river in this northeastern state has turned black. (Photo: Wikipedia Commons)

In a shocking development that may lead to environmental crisis in Arunachal Pradesh, water of Siang river in this northeastern state has turned black.

‘The water has become muddy and cement-like because of massive construction by China of a 1000-km tunnel to divert waters of the Brahmaputra’, claimed Congress MP Ninong Ering in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Ering said in his letter that there is no other reason that the mighty Siang should be dirty and black in the month of November, and that this tragedy has come to pass due to heavy excavation on the Chinese side.

The other wise crystal clear waters of the Siang river are considered the lifeline of northern Arunachal Pradesh.

“The water can’t be used for any purpose because it contains a cement-like thick material. A lot of fish died one-and-half months ago,” said East Siang district deputy commissioner Tamyo Tatak.

He added, “In the last monsoon season, the river turned dark and we thought that it was because of mud being carried by the river. The rainy season is long over but the river water is still black. From November to February, the water is crystal clear and pure. Even my grandfather has never seen or heard of such a thing happening to the waters of the Siang.”

India’s worst fears are from Chinese plans to dig a 1000-km tunnel, the world’s longest, to divert the Yarlung Tsangpo river from Tibet to Taklimakan Desert in Xinjiang. However, China has denied having any such plans.

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