Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday rebutted Pakistan's 'latest canard' on the water issue. He saw it as a baseless effort to stir fear using a hypothetical scenario involving the Brahmaputra River.

Sarma responded with a strong post on X. He rebutted the threat, "What if China stops the Brahmaputra's water to India?" with hard facts.

He wrote, "Let's dismantle this myth, not with fear, but with facts and national clarity." He clarified that the Brahmaputra is a river that expands in India, not one that shrinks due to any upstream control.

The Chief Minister explained that China contributed only about 30 to 35 per cent of the Brahmaputra’s total flow. This contribution mainly came from glacial melt and limited rainfall over the Tibetan plateau. He emphasised that the remaining 65 to 70 per cent of the river’s volume was generated within India through monsoon rains and numerous tributaries in the Northeast.

Sarma referred to hydrological data. He said the river’s flow at the Indo-China border (Tuting) averaged between 2,000 and 3,000 cubic metres per second. He noted that this increased significantly to 15,000 to 20,000 cubic metres per second in Assam during the monsoon season. This demonstrated India’s dominant contribution to the river’s overall flow.

He stated, “The Brahmaputra is not a river India depends on upstream. It is a rain-fed Indian river system, strengthened after entering Indian territory.”

Sarma added that even in the unlikely event of China reducing the water flow, such a move could actually help India. It might reduce the recurring floods in Assam that displace hundreds of thousands every year.

He made it clear that China had never officially threatened to weaponise the Brahmaputra. He dismissed the suggestion as speculative fear-mongering.

He also took a jab at Pakistan. He remarked that the country, which long benefited from the Indus Waters Treaty, was now “panicking” as India reclaimed its rightful water sovereignty.

He concluded by stating, “Brahmaputra is not controlled by a single source. It is powered by our geography, our monsoon, and our civilisational resilience.”