Amid reports of Bhutan stopping the supply of irrigation water to farmers in Assam and adjoining areas, the countries foreign affairs ministry clarified saying that "there is no reason why the flow of water should be stopped at this time".
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"It is a deliberate attempt by vested interests to spread misinformation and cause misunderstanding between the friendly people of Bhutan and Assam," the country's foreign ministry said.
"Baksa and Udalguri districts in Assam have been benefitting from the water sources in Bhutan for many decades and they continue to do so even during the present difficult times when we are faced with the COVID-19 pandemic," it added.
The country's foreign ministry said that since the lockdown in India and closure of Bhutan’s borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Assamese farmers were unable to enter Bhutan to maintain the irrigation channels.
"The Samdrup Jongkhar district Officials and the general public have taken the initiative to repair the irrigation channels whenever there are problems to ensure the smooth flow of water to Assam," the ministry said, adding,"Bhutan would like to assure the people of Assam that the government of Bhutan, particularly the Samdrup Jongkhar district authorities, will make every effort to ensure that the disruptions caused by the monsoon rains to the irrigation channels are addressed without delay"
The ministry asked the Samdrup Jongkhar authorities to maintain close contact with their counterparts in Baksa and Udalguri while adding that it it "deeply values age-old ties of friendship and cooperation with the people of India, particularly their close neighbors across the borders in Assam and West Bengal."