India remote sensing satellite has caught China possibly lying about not having any plans to dam and divert the Yarlung Tsangpo, the name in Tibet of the river which flows into India as Brahmaputra River. India’s National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) confirmed on Nov 3 that construction was on at the Zangmu site, prompting the government to take up the matter with China at a "political" level through the Ministry of External Affairs, reported the Indian Express online Nov 4.

In its presentation to the Committee of Secretaries (CoS) formed to assess Chinese plans regarding possible diversion of the Brahmaputra’s water, the NRSA presented evidence of "houses, construction/excavation, and movement of trucks" in and around a 3-4 km range at the site, the report said.

It said that the meeting of the CoS -- also attended by India’s external intelligence gathering agency RAW’s chief K C Verma, representatives of Environment, Water, Power, and External Affairs Ministries -- decided to "constantly monitor" various aspects of the construction through different sub-groups set up by the CoS.

The findings of NRSA has given credence to New Delhi’s concerns that lower riparian countries like India and Bangladesh would be at China’s mercy during the dry spell and for protection from floods during the rainy season, noted ZeeNews.com (India) Nov 4. It said the dam was being built at Namcha Barwa, which is located in Nyingtri Prefecture.

The Brahmaputra River basin accounts for nearly 30% of India’s total water resources and about 40% of its total hydropower potential, the report said.