China, India constantly sharing information, can't say it's conspiracy: Rijiju on Brahmaputra river blockage

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday said that China and India are constantly sharing information over the threats posed to Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in the wake of a landslide in Tibet. "You can't say it is a conspiracy," the minister added.

"Chinese govt is sharing information with Indian authorities and Indian authorities have shared information with district administration in Siang belt. All precautionary measures are being taken. You can't say it's a conspiracy," he stated.

He said that the Siang river is a very big river and "any natural calamity like earthquake or landslide possess a danger to people who live downstream."

Rijiju's comments come a day after Arunachal Pradesh government sounded an alert in the East Siang district of the state and for the regions bordering China's Tibet region owing to a landslide in Tibet.

A landslide that occurred in China on Wednesday created an obstruction on river Yarlung Tsangpo, which is known as Siang in Arunachal Pradesh and as the Brahmaputra in Assam.

The landslide blocked the flow of the Yarlung Tsangpo, creating a lake that poses a threat to the inhabitants of the downstream areas, including those living in Arunachal Pradesh. 

Following the landslide, as many as 6,000 people were evacuated in Tibet.

Congress Member of Parliament from Arunachal Pradesh, Ninong Ering, had earlier written a letter to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Minister of State for Water Resources Arjun Ram Meghwal seeking their intervention with regards to the blockage.