Indian students say Chinese dam construction kept under wraps

Guwahati, Nov 13 (ANI): Students in northeastern states on Friday said that the UPA Government was trying to underplay China's plans to build a dam on the river Brahmaputra.

It may be noted that a section of media reported that China is constructing a dam on Brahmaputra, which could affect the ecology in India.

The National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) had said that the construction work was on at the Zangmu site on the Chinese side of the Brahmaputra River.

However, the Foreign Ministry refuted such reports.

Addressing a news conference in Guwahati, officials of the North East Students Organisation (NESO), an influential student body of the region, accused Indian government of not taking enough steps to protect the integrity of the region.

"The Government of India put the people of northeast in the dark. They (Indian authorities) knew that there is a plan of a dam, why they keep mum and kept the people of Northeastern region in dark?

"It reminds us 1962...ultimately what they will say, they will say good-bye to the people of northeast...now they (Indian authorities) knew that there is a dam and it will severely affect the people of northeast and they keep mum?" asked Sammujal Bhatacharya, president of NESO.

People of northeastern states say any such project may have major impact on the socio-economic condition of people living downstream.

Student leaders also demanded that the government should take concrete steps protect the identity of the region. (ANI)