Arunachal Pradesh MP Ninong Ering reacted sharply on the statement made by Union water resources minister Arjun Ram Meghwal wherein the later said that the water of Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh turned black due to a recent earthquake in the Tibetan region.
The Siang has been flowing with dark muddy water since many days and the Arunachal Pradesh MP had written to the government for fact-finding and take immediate measures to tackle the situation. Siang flows into Assam as river Brahmaputra.
Reacting to the Union minister’s comment, Ninong Ering said that Meghwal’s statement regarding the colour of the Siang river is completely premature and lacks any justification.
“During winters, the river flows crystal clear. Since I was a child, I have always seen this river deep blue during this season. This phenomenon hasn’t occurred in last 100 years, as stated by the senior local villagers. The construction of dams may not be very important to you (Arjun Ram Meghwal) as the Northeast may be of little concern to you. The NTU permissible limit is 0.5, but as per a report by the water resources department, it has risen to 425, which is poisonous,” Ninong Ering said in his letter sent to the Union water resources minister.
The Congress MP, representing Arunachal East constituency, further said that the river is contaminated and all aquatic life in the river has been destroyed.
“It is also affecting the local livestock not only in Arunachal, but downstream Assam too, for which you (Arjun Ram Meghwal) may get reports soon. All the migratory birds, which were seen in this season in D Ering Wildlife Sanctuary, have not been seen this year,” Ninong Ering said.
Ering urged the Union minister to take up the matter very seriously and said that it concerns the lifeline of the people of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Bangladesh as well.
Earlier, the Arunachal Pradesh MP had sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 25 and raised the issue. Ering appealed the PM to raise the issue in international forum.
“The recent report said that, the Chinese government has constructed a 1000 km long tunnel – the world’s longest – to divert the Siang river (Tsangpo in Tibet) from Sangri in Sothern Tibet to the Taklamakan desert in Xinjiang is likely to be true though the Chinese government had denied it,” Ninong Ering said.
In his letter sent to the PM on November 25, Ninong Ering said that, a few months back a report about diverting a channel over Tsangpo (Siang/Brahmaputra) in Tibet, which was denied by the Chinese government, has become an issue of concern.
“After the report, the Siang river has become muddy and slushy. It is an unusual phenomena and reason behind the same is unknown. I have already put questions and also under rule 377 to be discussed in the parliament but as it was not in session, I am requesting you to use your good office to seek the reason of the river being muddy in this season where the water is crystal clear. A 600 km long tunnel is already started in the Yunnan province as a rehearsal,” Ninong Ering said in his letter.
Meanwhile, the Chinese media had recently refuted the country’s role in polluting Siang river in Arunachal and claimed that Arunachal Pradesh is a part of China’s Sothern Tibet region.
The Assam government has also raised concerns over the issue of polluting Brahmaputra river. Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said that the state government is very concerned over the serious issue and the state government will raise the issue with the centre.
