India alert over China’s proposed dam on Brahmaputra: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said the government is alert over China’s plan to build a massive dam on the Brahmaputra river near India’s border in Tibet. Days after China announced plans to build the world’s biggest dam on the Brahmaputra, India said it will continue to monitor and take necessary steps to safeguard its interests. New Delhi has also urged Beijing to ensure that the interests of the downstream areas of the Brahmaputra are not harmed by activities in the upstream areas. “The Indian government is alert,” the defence minister said when asked about the dam during an event here. “Earlier when India spoke at international forums, people did not take it seriously, but now when India speaks, the world listens,” Singh said at the state conference of the Secondary Teachers’ Association (Sharma group) held at Mufeed-e-Aam Inter College here on Tuesday. “India is progressing in every sector. Earlier, the economy was ranked 11th (globally),” he said. Now the Indian economy is at the fifth position and in the coming two and a half years it will be included among the top three countries.