Tibet quake caused Brahmaputra's turbidity: China

China on Wednesday said a 6.9-magnitude earthquake in Tibet in mid-November had caused turbidity in the Brahmaputra waters, which had sparked concerns in India. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying also said the recent tests showed that the water quality met the standards of Class III water.

Class III is generally regarded as good for fish regeneration and wildlife. Earlier, media reports spoke of heavy pollution in the Brahmaputra river known as Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh.

Some media outlets quoted reports of formation of barrier lakes in Tibet close to Arunachal Pradesh which has sparked concerns of a possible deluge in the downstream. "We have noted that Indian media recently made a series of reports on this issue. They said China was conducting water conservancy project or exploiting a mine previously whereas now claim there is a barrier lake upstream," Hua said.

"I could tell you responsibly that none of these speculations is true according to the results of the investigation by the relevant Chinese authorities," she told PTI in response to a question.

She said the 6.9-magnitude earthquake in mid-November hit the area near Mainling County in Tibet, "which might have lead to the turbidity in the middle and lower reaches of the river for a certain period of time".