The opposition Congress has asked the Modi government to take up, in various international fora, the issue of China building an artificial lake just upward of Arunachal Pradesh which can be a "potential water bomb" and have devastating effect on the Siang basin in the border state.

Addressing a press conference, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said: "I think the government needs to do much more on the international diplomatic level. If necessary, it needs to drag China into international dispute resolution fora."

The Congress leader said there is a "very dangerous" artificial lake that has come into existence on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet, just above the Indian state. "This is a massive lake, where it would not be inappropriate, it would not be an exaggeration, to call it a potential water bomb. Right below it, is Arunachal's Siang river basin, a large basin.

"The slightest crack, fissure or deliberate sabotage would inundate and flood the entire Siang basin to the great misery of Arunachal, the great misery of the common man of Arunachal."

Singhvi contended that no country can do anything in the upstream part, which will endanger the downstream entities. "This is a basic principle of international law, but, nothing is spoken, shared, or disclosed by this government."

Attacking the government on the border faceoff with China, the Congress claimed that the "ground reality is that a minimum of 12,000 and more accurately 17,000, it is believed, Chinese troops, additional and fresh, remain there. There is no pullback. They are apparently of the fourth Motorised Infantry Division of China."

Singhvi also slammed the government for being unable to manage the existing golden relationships with Nepal, which is clearly under the mala fide influence of China, and has, at its bidding, claimed areas like Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura and also featured them on its own national map.

"Nepal is trying to construct the balance portion of what is known as the Darchula-Tinkar Road, and they have entrusted the work to the Nepalese Army... which takes the roads apparently right to the junction of India and China. Nepal has never done this before, somewhere there is a huge failure of your diplomacy," he said.
  (IANS)