No sign of China diverting Brahmaputra water, says India

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) Union Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal Monday said there was "nothing to suggest" that China was building dams to divert the waters of the Brahmaputra river towards its northern regions.

Replying to supplementaries to questions in in the Rajya Sabha, Bansal said India has been assured by the Chinese government that all dams being built on rivers that flow into India are only for generating electricity, and will not store water.

Bansal said the government was taking up the matter with the Chinese government and representatives from "time to time", and the Chinese had assured that they would "act responsibly".

"There is nothing to suggest any quantity of water from the Brahmaputra is being diverted," Bansal said.

The Brahmaputra, which is a major river flowing through the north-eastern part of India, originates in the Tibetan plateau, which is under the Chinese occupation.