29.11.17

Arunachal river turns black

The crystal clear waters of the Siang river, one of the major constituents of the Brahmaputra and lifeline of northern Arunachal Pradesh for centuries, has suddenly turned black triggering panic in the frontier state. The East Siang district authorities have pressed the alarm bell as the water of the river, containing large volumes of heavy slag, is no longer fit for consumption. “The water can’t be used for any purpose because it contains a cement-like thick material. A lot of fish died one and half months ago,” said East Siang district deputy commissioner Tamyo Tatak.

He added, “In the last monsoon season, the river turned dark and we thought that it was because of mud being carried by the river. The rainy season is long over but the river water is still black. Usually, from November to February, the water is crystal clear and pure.”

Tatak said water samples have been collected and China is the primary suspect. “It seems that some major cement work is on in the upper reaches of the river in China… may be China is carrying out some deep water boring work. What else could be the reason for such a big river remaining black for nearly two months,” Tatak said.

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