NEW DELHI - Concerned over reports that China was building a massive dam on river Brahmaputra on its side, India said Thursday it will ascertain from Beijing if it was constructing such a project as it would adversely affect the population downstream in India.

In response to a media report, ministry of external affairs spokesperson Vishnu Prakash said that India will be trying to ascertain whether there are recent developments that suggest any change in the position conveyed to us by the government of China.

The spokesperson said at earlier meetings of India-China experts on trans-border river issues “the Chinese side has categorically denied that there is a plan to build any such large scale diversion project on the Brahmaputra river”.

In light of the news reports, India will be asking China if it is building any major project “as such a project may have significant impact on the socio-economic condition of people living downstream”.

The Brahmaputra flows for 1,625 km inside China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, where it is known as Yarlungzangbo, with the Indian part being 918 km long. In Bangladesh, Brahmaputra splits into two branches, Padma and Meghna, before finally meeting and flowing into the Bay of Bengal.

In November 2006, India and China agreed to set up an expert level mechanism to discuss trans-border rivers and have held three meetings so far.

During these meetings, the Indian side has taken up with the Chinese side, reports about the construction of a large scale dam or diversion project in the Brahmaputra, said Prakash, adding that it was conveyed to China that having such a project will adversely affect the downstream population.

The Indian side has also expressed the hope that the Chinese side will not undertake such a large scale project or divert the waters of the Brahmaputra, he noted. In return, China had assured then that it was not planning to build any such major hydro projects.