Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said on Friday that his government is seriously concerned over reports of China constructing a dam on Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet, the source of river Brahmaputra.

"The Assam government is seriously concerned over the construction of a dam by China on river Yarlung Tsangpo. We apprehend it will affect Assam and dry up river Brahmaputra and other water resources downstream."

Stating that he would meet the prime minister and the union water resources minister for taking up the issue with Beijing, Gogoi said, "earlier I had taken it up with Manmohan Singh who then raised the issue with his Chinese counterpart.

China then denied that the dam would affect Assam or any other part of India."

The chief minister said the state would set up an expert committee to go into the necessary measures to be taken in the eventuality of China constructing the dam. "We will also involve the IIT here [Guwahati] if necessary."

Construction of a dam on the 1625-km Brahmaputra in the Tibet Autonomous Region is thought to have serious impact on the socio-economic condition of the people in Assam, where the river flows for 918 km before falling into the Indian Ocean.