The Union Ministry of External Affairs has been asked to look into the matter

Guwahati: Reports of China building a weather modification system to bring more rain to the Tibetan plateau has sent the lower riparian state of Assam into a tizzy.

Every year Assam’s economy is devastated by floods, causing immense damage to the region's people and their livelihood.

State's finance minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, said Assam and Arunachal Pradesh are suffering due to interference by China in the natural ecosystem in Tibet.

He said, “The news of the new system is a shocker. I am requesting the Union Ministry of External Affairs to look into the matter and coordinate with the Chinese authorities.”

Assam witnessed extensive flooding last year. The state government had stated that despite no massive rainfall, the state witnessed severe flooding resulting in the third wave of flood.

Union Ministry of External Affairs had stated that it has not received hydrological data from China on river Brahmaputra and Sutlej last year. India has a bilateral agreement with China to share information on cross-border rivers, including Brahmaputra and Sutlej.

China on Wednesday said it has agreed to share data with India, which it had withheld last year after the Doklam military stand-off. The Brahmaputra river is known as Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet.