By Bhupen Goswami

Guwahati : River Siang is flowing abnormally in the past 10 years and it seems there are disturbances in upper stream. The eye witness recorded huge waves in the river and the river was rising almost two meters than the normal . The district authorities of Siang have asked the people to stay away from the river which is in high spate. However it is not known whether it is due to heavy rain in upstream or any made intervention at the Chinese side. The Chinese have built a dam over Siang in their side and it had promised to share water data with Indian Government. However both sides are tightlipped over the unusual behaviour of river Siang in down stream of Arunchal Pradesh. Flash floods in the Siang this year have caused massive erosion, posing a threat to Borguli, Sigar, Seram, Namsing, Mer and Gadum villages under Mebo subdivision in East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh. Thousands of hectares of land, including a forest range office of Borguli range and watch towers under D’ Ering wildlife sanctuary, have been washed away. Tomar Dai, a resident of Borguli village, told the media that the situation has to be closely monitored by the state and central governments and better flood-control measures.

However, New Delhi has clarified that China was not conducting any mining activity near Arunachal Pradesh. In May, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post claimed in a report that Beijing has begun largescale mining operations on its side of the border with Arunachal Pradesh. Last year, the crystal clear waters of the Siang baffled many with its appearance. The murky nature of the water raised concerns that China might be constructing infrastructure to divert Brahmaputra as reported earlier. Largescale fish deaths along the river banks reported from Tuting and Geling in Upper Siang close to the Chinese border and similar fish and cattle deaths in Pasighat in East Siang district and parts of Assam raised alarm among the people residing along the riverbanks, about the possible use of toxic substance in the upper reaches.There is an abnormal change in the Brahmaputra during the past one month and poisonous, muddy, turbid water is flowing in the river. As a result, a lot of wild animals and aquatic life have died. This has also resulted in loss of livelihood for many people. This catastrophe has jeopardized the Brahmaputra valley civilization. The main reason for this is China is constructing 1,000-km tunnel, connecting South Tibet and Desert Taklimakan in Jhingjiyang Province. This is the longest tunnel in the world. And, China has constructed a 200-metre-wide, 13-km-high big dam at Yarlung Tsangpo to divert the Brahmaputra,As reported earlier, official reports of the colour of water in the Siang, in Tuting, changing emerged from the Arunachal Pradesh office of the CWC on November 10 and it attributed it to excess silt. What caused the deluge of silt, however, wasn’t specified. But the water at Tuting was still potable, according to the CWC. Earlier, Masood Hussain, Chairman, CWC, had said that the agency’s preliminary reports did not find traces of cement or high alkalinity in the river — or signs of construction.