As Arunachal River Turns Muddy, Officials Suspect Chinese Construction

People in the border state of Arunachal are concerned because the water in the Siang River has turned murky, possibly due to building activity in China upstream, an official said.
The river, which is the main waterway for the state, changed its colour and became murky around three days ago, according to the officials in Pasighat, the district’s administrative centre for East Siang.

“There is mud flowing in the water, which is unnatural given the fact that the region received no rain in the past few days. We are monitoring the situation with help from officials of the water resources department,” East Siang Deputy Commissioner (DC) Tayi Taggu stated.

The official speculated that China, where the river is known as Yarlung Tsangpo, may have participated in “some sort of earth-cutting” that caused muck to pour into the river.

“It appears that some building work is being done upstream of the river, which has its origins in China. Another possibility is that there were upper reaches landslides “said the Deputy Commissioner.

Concerns have been raised about the rapid shift in colour of the Siang water by villagers and fishermen who depend on the river for agricultural needs. The river had turned black in December 2017, which caused concern in the state. Pema Khandu, the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, had at the time personally observed the river’s state and asked the Center to investigate. At that point, India had raised the issue with China.

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