Taken note of reports of China starting dam construction on Brahmaputra in Tibet: Govt tells RS
New Delhi (PTI): India has taken note of reports about China commencing the construction of a mega dam project on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River (upper reaches of Brahmaputra) in Tibet, the government informed Parliament.
In a written response on Thursday to a query in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, said the project was first made public as far back as 1986 and since then, preparations have been underway in China.
The government of India has "taken note of reports about commencement of construction of mega dam project by China on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo (upper reaches of the Brahmaputra) River in Tibet," he said.
The government "carefully monitors" all developments relating to the Brahmaputra River, including plans by China to develop hydropower projects, and "takes necessary measures to protect our interests, including preventive and corrective measures to safeguard life and livelihood of Indian citizens residing in the downstream areas", he said.
Various issues relating to trans-border rivers are discussed with China under the ambit of an institutionalised expert level mechanism, which was established in 2006, as well as through diplomatic channels, Singh sad in his response.
"As a lower riparian state with considerable established user rights to the waters of the trans-border rivers, the government has consistently conveyed its views and concerns to the Chinese authorities, including on the need for transparency and consultation with downstream countries, and urged them to ensure that the interests of downstream states are not harmed by any activities in the upstream areas," he added.
The need for cooperation on trans-border rivers, including resumption of provision of hydrological data by the Chinese side, has been highlighted by the government in several bilateral interactions with China, including during the recent visit of the external affairs minster to China from July 14-16 for the SCO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the minster said.
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Yogish Gowda murder case: HC issues notice to CBI after hearing Kulkarni’s plea
Bengaluru: Karnataka High Court has issued a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following the filing of application by Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni and Chandrashekhar Indi challenging the life imprisonment awarded to them by the Special Court for murder of BJP Dharwad leader Yogish Gowda.
The divisional bench comprising Justices Muhammad Nawaz and T Venkatesh Naik heard the pleas filed by Kulkarni on April 15 and Chandrashekhar Indi also called Chandu Mama on April 16.
The bench has now issued a notice to the CBI and also directed the HC Registry to obtain the trial court documents before adjourning the hearing.
